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A Strange Voyage. 


A Revision of the Key of Industrial 
Co-operative Government. 




ocnj'f's' 



\^%Xl 

An Interesting and Instructive Descrip- 
tion OF Life on Planet Venus. 

By Pruning Knife. 

/V ^ 




The Monitor Publishing Company, 

FAGIN BUILDING, 810 OLIVE ST., 

St. Louis, Mo. 


PZb 


Copyrighted 1891, by 
M. KR.A.NCIS ALIvKN 
St. Louis, Mo. 


Respectfully Dedicated by the AuthoRj 

TO THE 



AND ALL WHO ARE INTERESTED IN THE EQUITABLE 
GOVERNMENT OF MANKIND. 


“ Vivere si recti nescis, decede feritisJ*' 


! 


i 



PREFACE. 


On a sea-girt isle the happy days of my boyhood 
’ere spent. The warm gulf stream steadily laving 
s shore made the climate delightful to dwell in, and a 
’vorite resort for invalids. We had taken up our 
bode there to benefit my mother’s declining health. 

Our home was on the face of a hill sloping back 
from a wide stretch of beach, the principal one of the 
few landing places on the island, for it mainly presented 
a surface of tall rugged cliffs to the swash of the Atlan- 
tic Ocean. 

A group of smaller islands, a few miles distant in 
the offing, relieved the broad expanse of sea from all 
monotony. 

Steamships and sailing vessels were frequently in 
sight, and together with the pilot boats, luggars, yachts, 
fishing smacks and innumerable sail and row boats going 
to and from the harbor, made an interesting and enjoy- 
able variety of marine views. 

Back from the coast line the land was a series of 
rolling hills, valleys and miniature plains, parcelled 
into small well kept farms, pastures, orchards and gar- 
dens with a wealth of flowers, semi-tropical in luxuri- 
ance. 

Every road and lane was macadamized with a 
mixture of flint, granite, gravel and chalk, making a 


vi 


Preface. 

surface almost as compact and smooth as cut stone. 
The fields were bordered on the roadsides and lanes 
with neatly trimmed hedges, and beautified with ditches 
of crystal water — that never stagnated — husbanded for 
purposes of irrigation during dry seasons, their surfaces 
decked with lilies and water cress, and the banks with 
mosses and sweet wild flowers. A prominent hill back 
of the city commanded a fine view of nearly the entire 
island 

Several quaint Gothic churches, some of them built 
many centuries ago, each surrounded by a group of 
small buildings of an equally antique type, studded the 
landscape a few miles apart ; they constituted the 
parishes into which the island was divided, and nestling 
in pastoral repose added a pleasing charm to the beau- 
tiful scenery for which the place was so famous. 

Fine dwellings, with spacious lawns and well kept 
gardens and aviaries, clustered in and about the suburbs 
of the half mediaeval, half modern built town, many of 
them the homes of wealthy, yet progressive exiles or 
their descendants. 

The many tourists who were continually coming 
and going, gave a cosmopolitan tone to the place. 
Culture and refinement abounded among the well-to-do 
classes ; and though poverty and ignorance existed in a 
limited extent, as the inevitable contrast of caste lines 
under the conipetitive system, an ideal sense of freedom 
and a chivalrous antagonism to every form of usurpa- 
tion was the leading spirit of all classes of the native 


Preface, vii 

islanders ; due in a great measure to the social influence 
of the political exiles who had been forced by tyranny 
from their native lands, to find a welcome shelter there. 

Surrounded by such influences, and being mentally 
inclined to observe the characteristics of others, is it a 
wonder that even in my early youth I acquired the habit 
of meditating on the conflicting aims of mankind, and 
how to effect a more equitable and peaceful government 
of the world. 

The train of reflection which eventually resulted in 
the formulation of the industrial co-operative non- 
use of money form of government, began when I was 
nine years of age — forty-five years ago. I was passing 
a caterer’s establishment ; two boys, barefooted and 
poorly clothed, were contemplating the tempting viands 
in the window. Two other boys, in fashionable attire, 
emerged from the store with hands full of pastry ; one 
of them tasted a tart, and not liking its flavor threw it 
down on the wet, slippery, flagstone pavement (it had 
been raining) ; the two poor urchins immediately 
scrambled for it ; one of them, by means of his superior 
strength, secured it. Instead of appropriating it to him- 
self exclusively, as I expected to see him do, he divided 
it into two equal parts and gave his smaller companion 
one of them. The incident made a lasting impression 
on my mind. I remarked to my sister, who accompa- 
nied me: “Why do some boys have so much that they 
carelessly waste it, while others have so little that they 
scramble in the mud for something to eat?” 

\ 


viii 


Preface. 

My gentle mother’s death was the removal of the 
central focus around which had radiated the joyous, 
rosy, paradise of my youth, and whilst yet a boy, and a 
dreamer with undimmed hope, I entered the conflict of 
life, to familiarize myself with the heart beats of those 
I was destined to assist in emancipating. Oh ! joyous 
childhood, how bright the future seemed then ! What 
changes the stern realities of life have wrought since. 

The many “ castles ” built with hopes so fair, 

Like frailest “bubbles” long since “burst in air.” 

It is not necessary to relate a history of my life for 
the past forty-five years, enough to say, that one pur- 
pose has been continually supreme in my mind — the 
betterment of the condition of the oppressed, by finding 
a solution for the vexing economic and social issues 
confronting us. 

In the summer of 1866 whilst ploughing a small 
field of corn in the western suburbs of St. Louis, feel- 
ing the effects of the intense heat, I unhitched the 
horse from the plow, led him under the shade of a tree, 
and laid down myself to rest awhile. 

The thought occurred, how nice it would be if all 
could rest when they need it ; and how many were then 
engaged in the same use that had not a similar privilege t 
This led to other questions : I queried, what will be the 
result of this race for wealth, accelerated to such a 
feverish pace at the time being.? All the teachings of 
vaunted political economists had entirely failed to 
establish equity as the rule of life in our commercial 


Prefacp 


IX 


and social relations with each other, even as members 
of a single nation, much less our transactions with 
other people. 

Before I resumed my ploughing, the industrial non- 
use of money form of government was formulated, and 
I discussed it with my acquaintances, advocating its 
extension until it embraced every nation of the earth as 
states of one great planetary government, with one 
common centre. 

In 1872 I addressed the International Society of St. 
Louis; subject, “The Need of Reform,’’ which the 
audience had printed. 

In 1873, in a lecture delivered in Chicago, I offered 
the following suggestions : 

Limit the possession or occupation of land to a 
specified number of acres per capita for agriculture 
or stock raising. 

Limit the number of feet per capita for manufac- 
turing purposes and dwellings, etc., in cities. 

Limit the rate of interest to two per cent, borrowa- 
ble from the government instead of usurers, and secured 
by the homestead improvements. 

Limit taxation to half of one per cent, for agricul- 
tural or timbered lands. 

Limit the total tax of all city property and incomes, 
below a specified amount, to one per cent. 

The adoption of an amendment to our national 
constitution stopping the sale of public lands, substitu- 
ting a life lease, exchangeable only with those possess- 


ing a similar lease. The lease renewable to the 
deceased occupant’s descendants. 

Make the homestead non-mortgageable, only to the 
government. 

In 1875 I wrote the “Key of Industrial Co-Operative 
Government.” Read a large portion of it in public in 
St. Louis in 1879, though it had been partly published 
in the St. Louis Mirror in 1874, under the title of 
“Industrial Ethics,” in which the following passages 
occur : 

The cry of paternal government, so frequently used 
in ridicule against economic reforms, from the same 
standpoint could as consistently be used against the 
postal system, the river, harbor and coast services and 
the public schools, as against any effort to extend the 
benificent principle until it embraces every phase of 
human government. 

The time of actual service in the manifold uses of 
civilization should be between the ages of 18 and 52 
the sick and maimed excepted, who nevertheless are 
entitled to the same support as those engaged in active 
service. Those engaged in domestic duties receive the 
same compensation as those in other active uses. 

In 1884 I read the “Key of Industrial Co-Opera- 
tive Government” before the Teachers’ Institute of St. 
Charles and Warren Counties, Mo. In 1886 it was 
copyrighted and published in book form ; though no 
material effort was made to place it before the public, 


♦ This is changed to 18 to 42 in Looking Backward. 


XI 


Preface. 

nearly a thousand copies were disposed of — mainly to 
reformers — ^but one copy was presented to a member of 
the press. 

In this, my fourth presentation of my thoughts, I am 
forced to the disagreeable task of defending my claim 
to their authorship as many of the ideas contained 
therein have been published and extensively circulated 
by others, since circumstances have paved the way for 
their popular reception. 

Hoping that this effort, in connection with the labor 
of others, may assist in still further advancing the 
equitable government of mankind, I again submit it, 
in a revised form and under another title, for your 
consideration. Respectfully, 

The Author. 


/■ 



A Strange Voyage. 


CHAPTER 1. 

Late one afternoon, feeling unusually tired, I left 
the din of the crowded city, wandering beyond its 
suburbs to find rest and diversion amidst the peaceful 
scenery of the country. 

Every tree and shrub was gorgeous in dress of 
full, fresh leafage, and perched upon their branches, 
that were gently swaying in the life-invigorating 
zephyrs of lovely May, the birds trilled and warbled 
grateful praise. 

The harvests’ rich promise waved in changing em- 
erald tints ; daffodils, primroses and the lovely lilies 
of the valley, in profusion on the brook-kissed mead- 
ows, vied with the daisies, buttercups and violets, that 
beautified the fields ; sweet blossoms of fruit trees and 
flowers mingled their delicious perfume with the re- 
freshing air, and mellow evening sunshine tinted all 
with softening rays. 

The beauty and repose of the scene was in pleasing 
contrast to the strife and discomfort I had escaped from 
for so brief a period. 

Some subtle influence in the quiet surroundings, 
made my bosom well with a mingling of joy and regret. 


2 


A Strange Voyage. 

Was it the similarity of the landscape to some scene 
of my youth, that revived the treasured memories of 
the past so vividly? Oh, this supreme po-wer that 
quickens every sense into revigorated life and memory ! 
Whence thy source ? Where thy limit ? 

The sun was nearing the horizon, blending its prim- 
rose tints into brightest orange, and a feeling of sadness 
crept o’er me, apace with the departing glory of day. 

Oft-times before and since, I have been similarily 
affected, the mind then seeming to be in sweetest ac- 
cord with all the spiritual harmonies of the imiverse. 

I knew it was time for me to return, yet I felt disin- 
clined to leave the scene of peace to mingle again with 
the turmoil of the city — the ceaseless strife and drudg- 
ery for subsistence, as though life had no higher purpose 
than to grovel in the cess-pools of traffic, from the knife 
swapping youth’s first greedy attempt to gain the ad- 
vantage of a playmate, to the confirmed avarice of the 
dotage of the aged. 

Oh ! what a pitiable sight to contemplate, so many 
entering the portals of eternity with features void of 
every redeeming virtue. So indelibly does greed stamp 
its soul-degrading effects ujfcn the worshipers of mam- 
mon, that even the finger and toe nails of some of them 
are hooked like the talons of a vulture. 

In panoramic view the legions with phantom aims, 
thinly interspersed with those of nobler mien, passed in 
review. The vast majority’s ignorance, superstition 


3 


A Strange Voyage. 

and selfishness harshly deadening with their discordant 
din all the sweeter melodies of life. 

A sense of fearful depression overcame me as I 
gazed at the vast multitude so vividly pictured to my 
mind, for I fully realized the herculean task that was 
required to make them realize the impracticable, yea, 
criminal use of human energy, that now obtains under 
the competitive system. Through all known ages of 
the past, as now, its path has been strewn with undis- 
putable evidences of incessant strife and failure. To 
contend that it is the only system by which organized 
society can be held in cohesion, is a travesty on justice 
and common sense ; I felt that even the physical uni- 
verse must quiver with indignation at human perversion 
and misrule. 

The feathered songsters ceased their work and song, 
and the sudden quiet aroused me from my reverie for a 
few moments ; they had gone to rest without a single 
care. I longed for freedom, even such as birds enjoy. 
I was singularly affected, both in mind and body, and 
sat down in a reclining posture ’neath the broad spread- 
ing branches of a tree, crowned with a glory of full 
blossom. Thoughts followed each other in rapid suc- 
cession. The question occurring : What shall be the 
result of this race for wealth ; accelerated to such fever- 
ish haste at the present time ? 

Whether the noble incentive to excel, for excellence 
sake, the grateful recognition of our superior attain- 
ments by fellow beings, and the award of honors of 


4 


A Strange Voyage, 

positions of leadership and responsibility in all depart- 
ments of life, was all sufficient stimulus ; inevitably 
leading us onward in progressive civilization. Whilst 
thus reflecting, it would seem I was destined to go on a 
very strange voyage and acquire some valuable exper- 
ience. 

A beautiful maid approached and invited me to 
embark with her on board an aerial ship, to visit planet 
Venus, whence she had come. It was a strange and 
surprising request; I looked at her, scarcely knowing 
how to reply. 

To have asked me to risk myself in mid-air in the 
frail-looking contrivance from which she had alighted, 
would have been sufficient cause for astonishment, but 
to add to it the request for me to accompany her bil- 
lions of miles through the blue ether, was astounding 
indeed. She contemplated my perplexity with such a 
pleasing composure, that I was really ashamed of my- 
self, for the fact of such a gentle maid risking herself 
without any fear, whilst 1 was afraid to venture, ap- 
peared very cowardly on my part ; for in the years gone 
by I had dared to lead where but few had the temerity 
to follow. She said: “You need not have any fear; 
we’ll have other agreeable company ; and the voyage 
may be full of instructive interest to you.” She called 
my attention to a lady and gentleman who were engaged 
in taking photographic views, saying: “They are my 
companions, allow me to introduce you to them.” We 
walked to where they were at work, and I made their 


5 


A StrangQ Voyage. 

acquaintance. The young man said: “We have been 
on and about your planet gathering a collection of 
scenes to take back with us for our illustrated journals.’^ 
His lady companion remarked: “We have seen and 
learned a great deal that is strange to us, and we regret 
that we are to return so soon.” She had taken the 
negative of the last scene photographed from an instru- 
ment in which it had been placed ; she noticed my cur- 
iosity and asked me if I would like to see it } I said yes ; 
she handed it to me, and I was surprised to find it of 
metal instead of glass, and more wonderful still, it had 
been thoroughly etched, during its brief period of de- 
velopment in its peculiar receptacle, into a perfect 
photo-engraving. 

She said: “This instrument,” putting her hands 
on the case, “contains a powerful battery; three min- 
utes is all the time required to take the view and finish 
it in this form, ready to be printed from, or to be used 
to take duplicate copies from for distribution to the 
illustrated press. I am very sorry we did not make 
your acquaintance the first day we arrived, as you 
would have aided us in acquiring more valuable informa- 
tion.” 

The first young lady who had approached me said : 
“I have invited him to accompany us back to our 
planet, if he decides to do so, we will be highly 
gratified, for no doubt he will inform us of this planet’s 
peoples, and their customs whilst on the way. We assure 
him a safe journey to Venus and return back again here.” 


6 


A Strange Voyage, 

They all joined in pressing me to accompany them. 
Their earnest truthful manner inspired confidence, and 
the love of adventure possessing me again, as in years 
ago, I answered “I will accept your kind invitation. 

She said: “We’ll start as soon as you are ready.” 

I requested sufficient time to procure my overcoat 
and a few articles of wear. 

She said: “It will be unnecessary as we are well 
provided with cloaks and wraps for the night, and when 
we arrive on our planet, ample provision will be made 
for all your needs.” 

Delay being unnecessary, we stepped aboard, cast 
loose, and up we sailed with a rapid, but easy motion 
from the earth. The air-ship was wonderfully con- 
structed, altogether different from any of our balloons. 
It was a light car suspended below a crescent shaped 
gas retort, which was filled by the product of chemicals 
combined on the car. A small, but powerful motor 
worked a number of wing-like fans, and the vessel 
could be directed anywhere desired, at a great speed 
and in perfect safety, for there were a number of self- 
acting parachutes on each side of the car, insuring a safe 
descent in case of accident to the gas receiver or motor. 
The framework of the vessel was made of lightly con- 
structed flexible metal tubes, possessing great strength, 
with little weight. The ingenious mechanism of the air- 
ship had so entirely absorbed my attention for some time, 
that when I looked down from the side of the car, I 
could scarcely discern even a dim outline of the earth. 


7 


) 

A Strange Voyage^ 

The lovely maid, who was named Edith, and who 
had induced me to venture on the aerial flight, said ; 
“We’ll soon be outside of your earth’s atmosphere, 
and enter a swift ethereal-magnetic tide that leads direct 
to Venus.” 

“Are there like currents connecting all the planets,” 
I asked 

“Yes, they are directly connected with each other 
by attractive and propulsive currents ; thus they are 
retained in their orderly cycles around and about each 
other.” 

I was surprised at the soft brilliant light that sud- 
denly dawned upon us. 

She said: “Now we are in the current, and will 
have no use for the steering gear and machinery until 
we reach the atmosphere of our planet, so we are free 
to converse at leisure.” 

“I really cannot conceive how we can dispense 
with the use of them in mid-air.” 

She replied: “This is a magnetic tide and gravita- 
tion is directed with it to our planet, and in no other 
direction.” 

“lam anxious to learn about these wonderful cur- 
rents flowing from planet to planet, so if it will not 
trespass too much upon your time I would like to ask 
you a few questions about them.” 

She replied: “It will afford us, speaking for my 
companions as well as myself, the greatest pleasure to 


8 A Strange Voyage, 

impart any information on the subject of which we have 
a knowledge.” 

“ How many currents are therebetween each planet ?” 

“Two; a positive (propulsive); and a negative 
(attractive). But all the planets are connected with a 
like double current with the central solar or sun of the 
system to which they are directly connected.” 

“ What am I to understand by the central solar or 
sun of the system, for it infers that all the planets in a 
solar system are suns to a greater or less extent, differing 
widely from the theory on our planet, for there the 
central solar is considered the only sun in the system.” 

“All are suns of lesser degree, subject to and 
revolving around a larger central sun, which is positive 
to them.” 

“What is the function of the magnetic currents 
besides their connecting power? ” 

“ They are the forces that regulate gravitation, and 
not only keep the planets in constant motion, but also 
regulate their respective distances from each other.” 

“What regulates the relation of all the solar sys- 
tems with each other?” 

“The sun sends forth and attracts like currents with 
all the other central solars in the universe, but has no 
immediate communication with their numerous planets, 
for the magnetic circuit of every solar system is com- 
pleted through the mediumship of its central solar or 
sun, and through them only are tributary to the universal 
co-operative order of the universe. Thus you perceive 


9 


A Strange Voyage, 

that the immense size of the sun gives it the necessary 
attractive and propulsive force to sustain the co-opera- 
tive relation of this solar system with other planetary 
systems.” 

‘ ‘ I would like to learn more of the nature of mag- 
netic force and how it is generated.” 

“We term it positive life, or motion. It is 
produced by friction of the planets’ atmospheres 
through the firmanent, which is the great reservoir of 
magnetic life, where it is held in a latent slate. The 
size of the planets regulates their absorbing power, 
which is called attractive utilization,” 

“We call it gravitation, though it has never been as 
clearly defined by our astronomers as you have described 
it to me ; but still I do not understand how the currents 
between the planets are so orderly sustained.” 

“I will endeavor to illustrate it by comparing all 
of the planets in a system to receivers, or storehouses of 
magnetism, and presenting, according to their size, a 
luminous quality, as this magnetism is electrified by the 
friction of their atmospheres, which is directed or attract- 
ed to one common focus — a central larger body — which 
gathers the rays of magnetism from other planets to 
intensify its own surface and reflect them back again 
with more potent and life-giving power for the individ- 
ualized forces of all of them, thus the planets become 
united and strengthened, mutually contributing to each 
others support. This attractive and reflective phenome- 
non not only explains the law of magnetic flow and ebb. 


10 


A Strange Voyage, 

but the origin of light and heat as well ; this is clearly 
demonstrated by the fact that the sun’s heat is felt most 
by the planets while they are in the most remote part of 
their ecliptic cycles from the sun.” 

“ Then the sun must be a habitable globe the same 
as the other planets.” 

“Certainly! The intense light and heat is the 
result of attraction and reflection, and is engendered in 
the outer part of the atmosphere of the sun and planets, 
as I stated before by friction with the elements of the 
firmament. This apparent light is the absolute power 
that gives motion to the planets, and keeps them in 
their orderly cycles, for it is magnetism flowing and 
reflowing from planet to planet.” 

‘ ‘ How do you account for the ecliptic instead of the 
circular course of the planetary cycles.?” 

“It is due to the relative positions of the planets 
with each other and with the sun, as they lessen or 
increase their attraction upon each other, and change 
their angle with the sun’s focus.” 

“What direct influence has the closer proximity of 
the sun upon the planets.?” 

“It then attracts from them in a greater measure their 
waste or negativized forces, which they have not suffi- 
cient power to throw off, and which of necessity must 
be thoroughly eliminated to be again magnetically 
revived. It is a periodical reawakening, somewhat similar 
to the influence of the changing seasons of the planets.” 


11 


A Strange Voyage, 

“How grand and marvelous this vast universe! 
How like a perfect working machine controlled by a 
master hand ! ’’ 

“Yes, the more we contemplate it the more sublime 
it becomes, and the greater we feel our weakness and 
dependence upon a Power beyond or superior to us. 
What an intimate relation this flow of magnetism from 
the sun to its planets and its reflow back again has 
to the circulation of the blood through the human body 
and all other forms of animated existence ; for they 
receive life sustaining elements in direct proportions to 
their assimilating power, and cast off through the excre- 
tory organs the chemically changed elements to be 
revivified and utilized over and over again.” 

“We had an eminent scientist and philosopher in 
the last century, named Emanuel Swedenborg, who 
likened the whole universe to the form of a graiid man 
or supreme power ^ and that every individual according 
to spiritual developement was located in a correspond- 
ing part of the body. The highest in the frontal brain 
and so downward the grand stature to the feet, and 
even the dead skin beneath them, where the lowest in 
the scale of developement have their being, in ignorance 
of all spiritual laws of life. He was very far advanced 
compared with the other scientists and philosophers of 
our planet who preceded him.” 

“ Had he many followers } ” 

“Yes, particularly among the highly developed, 
but his following has been very small compared to that of 


12 


A Strange Voyage, 

other religious teachers ; not from any glaring inconsis- 
tencies in his philosophy, but rather from the tendency 
of many, who profess to agree with him, to form a creed 
and burden it with useless forms, in the endeavor to illus- 
trate what they term a law of correspondence or 
symbolism/’ 

“Intimate association with some of them would 
lead careful observers to think that they had forgotten 
his wise injunction, that every individual should be a 
church within the soul, dependent on Divine light for 
guidance, and should avoid building up organizations 
tending to narrow the scope of the mind. I have 
quoted him in substance, but not in his wording, as it 
is nearly thirty years since I read it.” 

“He was right, for religion is subject, as all life, to 
evolutionary law, and must necessarily be free and 
progressive.” 

I wondered at the drift of the conversation, so wide 
from economic subjects which had absorbed my atten- 
tion for so many years, but seemingly I was led for a 
purpose, for the conversation drifted there to show me 
that the laws governing the order of the planets con- 
tained valuable lessons to aid us in a correct re-organi- 
zation of society, for they forcibly demonstrated mutual 
dependence and co-operation. 

At eleven o’clock refreshments were served, and 
soon after the young man adjusted our seats so as to 
form reclining couches, we bid each other good night 
and soon fell asleep. 


13 


A Strange Voyage, 

It was daylight when I awoke. My companions 
were up and attending to their toilets. I speedily 
arranged mine on being informed that we were in the 
atmosphere of Venus and that land was in sight. 

Quite a number of my companions^ friends greeted 
us as we alighted, and escorted us to an elaborately 
decorated train. I was subsequently informed that the 
reason we did not alight in the city in the air-ship was 
that we should not attract too much notice until we had 
donned apparel in harmony with the elegant costumes 
prevailing there; our arrival on the train would not be 
noticed as much. We soon reached the city which was 
but a few miles distant. 

On alighting at the depot we were escorted to 
elegant rooms. A fine assortment of clothing was 
placed at my disposal, and appropriately attired, I 
joined my fair guide, and together we entered the 
spacious restaurant for breakfast. 

After the meal we walked about the depot, which 
was a marvel of convenience, order and cleanliness. 
Not a warehouse, factory, work shop nor freight car in 
sight. The freight cars ran on separate tracks, and the 
freight yards, etc., were far removed from the 
passenger depots. This was an absolute rule all over 
the planet, and certainly a very wise one, as it saved 
annoyance and removed all possibility of collisions 
with passenger trains. 

The depot was constructed of highly polished non- 
corroding metal of many bright colors, and of elaborate 


14 


A Strange Voyage, 

designs. The entire roof was covered with colored 
glass in imitation of frescoes. 

My guide led me to a train of cars which was to 
leave in a few minutes; she said: “You perceive this 
engine motor occupies but very little space.?” 

I replied, “No, I do not see it at all.” 

She smiled and said: “I presume you expected to 
see one somewhat akin to your cumbersome engines* 
I omitted pointing it out to you ; it is all contained in 
this small space,” putting her hand on the front part of 
a baggage car, on what I had mistaken for a new 
species of lighting apparatus, for it had a beautiful 
electric lamp in front of it. 

“Is it possible that such a small machine is capable 
of drawing such a train as this ? ” 

“Yes, and much more besides. It is a combination 
of electric, pneumatic and steam forces, and is as near 
perpetual motion as it is possible to be, for once it is 
started in motion it will run, if not interfered with, until 
the machinery gives out. The only real consumption 
and waste of fuel takes place when generating the 
power to first start it in motion ready for use ; it can 
then be stopped and started at will. It has the faculty 
of continuously using the exhausted power. Another 
great advantage — there is neither smoke, soot nor 
ashes.” 

“It is a wonderful machine.” 

“But I assure you quite commonplace to us.” 


15 


A Strange Voyage, 

Some acquaintance attracted her attention, she ex- 
cused herself for a few minutes, and I was left to my 
own observations. 

The cars were highly embelished with carvings, 
richly tinted and gilded. I was delighted with the 
marvelous variety of bright colored metal carvings ; an 
art they seemed to have brought to perfection. A polite 
trainman invited me to look at the interior of the cars ; 
I thanked him and stepped aboard. 

They were roomy, and elegantly furnished. Bay 
windows formed cozy recesses that contained musical 
instruments, books and many devices for amusement. 
Every train carried a complete photographer's outfit, 
and every conductor and brakeman learned photography 
as a necessary qualification for railroad service. This 
facilitated the greatest despatch in securing and for- 
warding views, descriptions of scenery and note-worthy 
events along the routes, for the use of the illustrated 
papers. 

The conductor gave the signal to start, I stepped 
from the car and witnessed the train rapidly disappear 
by the aid of its diminutive engine. 

Edith returned whilst I was examining the remarka- 
bly smooth and clean roadbed. She said: “ They are 
kept in this condition their entire length. You perceive 
the rails are of non-corroding metal, and are so firmly 
imbedded in the concrete that we have never had any 
accident from spreading or misplaced rails.” 


16 


A Strange Voyage. 

Just as I stepped from the track to the platform aii 
ornamental railing shot upwards from the outer edge. 
She said: “The tracks in the depots and through the 
cities are all enclosed by ornamental fences, and this 
one would have been in position immediately after the 
train departed, had you not stepped off to examine the 
track. The person on duty, who is attending to this, saw 
you from yonder tower, from where the fences are 
controlled. It is one of the many precautions to avoid 
accidents.” 

“What beautiful supports for your electric lights!” 

“They extend all over our cities and railroad lines, 
which are lit up their entire length. Are your electric 
light lines similarly constructed?” 

“No. If the projectors of our great enterprises 
had to consider the perfect convenience of the public 
as you do, they would be left undone, and we would 
still be using the old plodding methods of the past. 
Not but many of them are progressive and desirous 
enough to have such a state of things, but they know it 
is impracticable under our present system of business 
ethics.” 

“The question of cost is not considered here ; the 
general good takes precedence in everything.” 

“ Judging from what I have so far seen your system 
is infinitely superior to ours.” 

From force of habit I was continually on the look- 
out for marked lines of wealth and poverty, but in their 


17 


Strange Voyage. 

stead found refinement and prosperity universal. A 
bevy of elegantly dressed ladies approached one of the 
trainmen and engaged in an animated conversation with 
him. 

My surprise at the marked difference in conduct to 
the customs prevailing with us, attracted the attention 
of my guide, who said : “We look upon all necessary 
uses as respectable, and by this means in particular, we 
have obliterated every form of false pretense and 
envious jealousy, with their attendant crimes. Idle- 
ness decreased in direct ratio with the enforcement of 
equity, and labor correspondingly more dignified. 
How is it with your planet’s people t ” 

“Nearly the reverse. It is customary to grade a 
person’s social status by a money and property qualifi- 
cation, absurd family pretenses, professions or mercan- 
tile pursuits. The less manual labor, skilled or 
unskilled, the individual performs, the more respectable 
his standing and position on the steps of the social pyr- 
amid. This will be generally denied, but nevertheless 
it is the general rule, with few exceptions, even in our 
boasted land of freedom and equality. We have pre- 
cepts without limit, but very little interest is taken in 
their practical application in dealing with each other, 
hence the pompous drones look upon the industrious 
honey producers with disdain.” 

“We would contemplate drones with the same 
loathing as we would excrescences on a diseased body, 
for in fact their toleration is proof positive of a badly 


18 


A Strange Voyage, 

corrupted social organism. The truly great and worthy 
need not depend on fine raiment, studied airs and avoid- 
ance of manual toil to assert their dignity and claims to 
distinction. The inner life of the individual will assert 
its supremacy without the assistance of artful pretense. 
Let us take a stroll about the central part of the city. 
This is a floral fete day in honor of the aged.’* 

The streets were alive with people in holiday attire, 
walking with hands and arms lovingly entwined with 
perfect unconcern. My guide noticed my attention to 
it and said: “We encourage an open expression of 
affection. Sincerity has nothing to be ashamed of. 
Pure love needs no secretive fence.” 

I replied: “Widely different from the customs on 
our planet ; our young folks do their ‘ billing and coo- 
ing’ when out of sight of others. Most assuredly 
your custom is preferable to ours.” 

“ Sincerity increases our intuitive impressibility. 
We can divine each other’s thoughts, therefore it is 
almost impossible to misunderstand each other when 
we heed our inward monitor. Mis-mating and dissen- 
sions between the sexes are thus avoided.” 

“ Have you any knowledge of this important science 
of mind-reading ? ” 

“Some; particularly with those who are intimately 
associated with me ; and even thousands of miles is no 
barrier to our mental communion. I recognize it as an 
important factor for good if we knew how to properly 
utilize it.” 


19 


A Strange Voyage, 

I could truthfully have said that I was conscious of 
an attractive force that made her companionship dearer 
to me than all else in the universe. Evidently she read 
my thoughts, for she dexterously changed the subject, 
saying: “But we are out for a day’s pleasure, let us 
defer this topic for a future occasion.” 

The evidences of high development were apparent 
in every one. Their beautiful and intelligent features, 
matchless forms and perfect grace was an inspiration of 
art. Not a shabbily dressed person in sight; not a 
care-worn face ; not an attempt at assuming selectism ; 
not a cringing or truculent soul ; not a sight of a greedy 
vender, nor envy were there to be seen. 

I said to my fair companion: “ It seems that your 
people are so perfect, and all their surroundings so 
pleasant they scarcely can have a knowledge of evil.” 

“On the contrary, we are trained to a full knowl- 
edge of its destructive power, even from our earliest 
childhood.” 

“ Some of our philosophers have said, ‘Whatever is, 
is right,’ hence that even evil is right. 

“It is astonishing how ready the majority are to 
shield their selfish delinquencies by a false interpreta- 
tion of this sentence. I have had dealings with 
professed moralists who could stoically contemplate 
human suffering from this standpoint without a con- 
scientious scruple.” 

“ We do not regard evil as being a necessary manifes- 
tation of life, other than its use to prove that a compen- 


20 


A Strange Voyage » 


satory punishment follows the violation of natural law ; 
thus by contrast giving us a keener sense and apprecia- 
tion of the true and beautiful ; just as the coarse 
ungainly weeds enhance the beauty of the flowers. 

“We have intuitive cognizance of right and wrong 
in proportion to our moral development, and whilst it 
is clearly demonstrable to some in thought, to others it 
must be made manifest by physical as well as mental 
suffering to convey a proper impression.” 

“I am pained to admit that we too frequently per- 
vert the truth for selfish purposes.” 

She manifested a disposition to avoid further discus- 
sion of the topic and I desisted my questioning. 

I noticed a marked difference in the demeanor of 
the sexes toward each other to customs on our planet. 
It was a perfect equality. Woman was portrayed in 
all the nobility of her nature ; intellectual, self-reliant, 
yet crowned and jeweled with the culmination of 
nature’s greatest charm — a loving, gentle demeanor. 
None of them were the petted recipients of the male 
sex’s capricious fancy ; they met on equal ground and 
enjoyed the delights of a perfect companionship instead. 

My companion said: “ Let us be stirring; they are 
forming in line and will soon start. We are invited to 
join the procession and attend the festival ; if agreeable 
to you we’ll do so.” 

I replied: “Certainly, I shall be delighted, espec- 
ially if you accompany me.” 


21 


A Strange Voyage. 

A young lady approached and decorated us with 
sashes and rosettes. All the youths and maids w'ere 
arranged in line with appropriate colors. Flags and 
streamers w’aved from towers and windows, elegant 
fiowei wreaths were hung in tasteful designs from the 
windows and statuary ; and richly decked arches 
spanned the sti'cets. 

The march began ; the music was admirably man- 
aged, each band had two sets of players, one part 
played whilst the other was resting ; and the pleasantest 
feature of all was, that all the bands played the same 
tune at the same time, following out an arranged pro- 
gramme. Quite an improvement on our way of play- 
ing a dozen or more different tunes simultaneously in 
the one procession. The march covered several miles, 
but the smooth clean road and good music made walk- 
ing easy. Beautiful shade trees formed a continuous 
archway to the park in which the festival was held. 
The park contained numerous restaurants and refresh- 
ment stands at convenient distances apart ; many of 
them were temporary structures built for the occasion. 

Everything was served free, so it was unnecessary 
to be encumbered with lunch baskets. The absence 
of venders, games of chance, and intoxicating drink 
booths was a pleasant feature. 

There was no dust anywhere, for the walks were 
paved with tiles of beautiful colors and designs ; their 
hard surface did not inconvenience pedestrains, for all 
wore shoes soled with a light, elastic water-proof ma- 


22 


A Strange Voyage, 

terial, giving an easy, springing motion to the wearer. 

It was a gratifying sight to see the young folks de- 
light in honoring the aged. Nothing left undone that 
could administer to their comfort. It was evident their 
elders fully appreciated the festival, and for the time at 
least, felt as young in spirit as the youths and maids 
who honored them. 

Life’s autumn days, content with sweet repose ; 

The ripened years, with work so fitly done ; 

The gold seared leaves, betokening summer’s close; 

When life’s well spent the noblest goal is won. 

The amusements were so varied, and entered into 
with such joyous zest by all, that though I had been 
almost constantly on my feet from early morn, I did 
not feel the least fatigued. The festival closed at sun- 
set. The line was formed again and we marched 
home, cheered by thrilling music and sweet song. The 
city reached, the procession was disbanded. 

Some part with kind good night; others with sighs. 

Some love-locked hands reluctantly unfold. 

For Cupid, tireless archer, ceaseless tries 
His hand at piercing hearts in every fold. 

We stopped in front of a beautiful building. 

Edith said: “This is your hotel ; we’ll meet in the 
the morn. Good night.” 

The entrance was a succession of beautifully carved 
columns, forming a magnificent arched hallway. There 
were rich vases filled with flowers, and fine statuary in 
nitches on each side. The ceiling and walls were of pol- 
ished colored marble, richly sculptured, and the floor was 


23 


A Strange Voyage, 

a marvel of mosaic tiling. As I crossed the threshold a 
delicious aroma, like a gentle falling spray descended 
from the ceiling all around me ; it was so arranged that 
the pressure of the feet on entering the doorway opened 
the valves of a perfume atomizer. 

It impressed me as a very novel and aesthetic way to 
greet a guest. I passed through the beautiful hallway 
to a grand stairway, in doubt which way to proceed. 
A young page appeared, invited me to follow, and led 
me to an elegant chamber on the next floor. Noticing 
that the door had no lock, I called the )"oung man’s at- 
tention to it ; with a look of part wonderment and 
amusement at my remark, he said: “We do not need 
any, our guardian is right.’* 

It was my turn to be sui'prised, for his answer was 
full of wonderful import, and furnished a theme for 
earnest reflection and instruction. The more I dwelt 
upon it, the more I realized that the foundation princi- 
ple of true civilization was an impartial enforcement of 
equity. 

I said: “We have to lock our doors, especially at 
night, to protect ourselves against thieves.” 

“Please explain what you mean by thieves.?” 

“Those who take what belongs to others, without 
the owner’s consent.” 

I said nothing about the numerous legalized forms 
of trespass and clandestine theft, for I realized it would 
necessitate too long an explanation. This noble people 
had obliterated all temptation to crime. 


24 


A Strange Voyage. 

He continued: “We have none here, for all can 
have their reasonable desires gratified without coveting 
the rights of others.’* 

' I replied: “You are far beyond us in all that ap- 
pertains to governmental ethics.” 

“If you feel lonely, you can divert your mind with 
some good music,” going to an instrument somewhat 
like our upright pianos, movable, but set in a recess in 
the wall. “Here is a list of a few of the latest tunes, 
and by pulling out the stop directly under any piece on 
this list you will have all the music you desire.” 

He pulled a stop and delightful symphonies filled 
the room. 

“How is this played?” 

“It is fitted with chambers, and has a capacity for 
twenty-five cylinders, each containing a tune. They 
are changed every montli ; the occupants of the building 
or room making their own selections. This depart- 
ment is under the management of the bureau of music. 
All the instruments are directly connected with the elec- 
tric wires.” 

“Have you no pianists.^” 

“Yes, some very expert ones who make a profession 
of music; but it is deemed wiser, and certainly more 
economical to furnish all with first-class music in this 
way, than have them waste their time thumping out 
discortant sounds to the annoyance of others of musical 
taste.” 

“Infinitely better I perceive.” 


25 


A Strange Voyage, 

“Now I must leave you, as I am on duty to receive 
other guests as well as yourself. Good night.’* 

I wished him good night, and he retired. The ceil- 
ing and walls of the room were finished with highly pol- 
ished marbles of delicate tints, and traced with beautiful- 
ly designed lines, filled to a smooth surface with bright 
non-tarnishable metal, producing a highly finished ef- 
fect, being very sanitary as well, as it was non-ab- 
sorbent and easily kept clean. 

I slept soundly until morning. Arose at sunrise, 
and was surprised to find a door open leading to a 
beautiful wardrobe full of elegant apparel. There was 
a prominent sign in gold, which read: “Help yourself 
to a becoming suit.” I did so, for I was extremely 
anxious to appear presentable, although I was sorely 
perplexed how my bill was to be settled for the luxur- 
ious entertainment I was receiving, but I had not heard 
even a hint about it. 

I had scarcely completed my toilet, when the most 
enchanting chimes pealed forth in the morning air. It 
seemed that all the bells in the city were simultaneously 
ringing the same tune. I learned that they were played 
by electricity, by one performer. 

The page knocked at my door, greeted me and said: 
“Your companion awaits you in the park.” I speedily 
joined her, and we listened to the morning anthem, 
sung outdoors, as was customary in fine weather. 

Who but has felt some time in life, the quickening 
of the senses by the influence of good music. Then we 


26 


A Strange Voyage. 

are the most susceptible to inspirational impression ; 
for the soul is like the chords of a well attuned instru- 
ment, strung to finest tension, for master hands to 
thrill. What is behind this wondrous power? Who 
can fathom the possibilities of the infinite? 

We returned to the hotel for breakfast, and before 
seating ourselves, were introduced to several visitors 
from other planets ; some of whom had come, as I, to 
learn of the excellent form of government on Venus. 
The conversation at the table was very interesting, and 
the information imparted about some of the planets will 
furnish ample theme for my pen at some other time. 


A Strange Voyage, 


27 


CHAPTER II. 

My guide informed me that we were to be shown 
the city’s most interesting places. She introduced me 
to a lady who had been selected to accompany us. 

In order to avoid the delay of changing from the 
different lines of cars, in going to and from the several 
points of interest, a motor road carriage was placed at 
our disposal. It was under the management of an in- 
telligent lady, who, we were informed, delighted in ouT 
door employment. 

The city was admirably planned, and entirely free 
from the obnoxious features so common on our earth. 
The living evidences of the falsity of our methods, and 
the vain glory of our much vaunted progress. The 
streets were very wide, and the buildings surpassed in 
elegance and utility our best styles of architecture, their 
general outlines conformed to perfect artistic symmetry ; 
a rule we would do well to follow, as we are too apt to 
sacrifice harmonious beauty of outline to the craze for 
producing something novel, exercising about the same 
judgment in architecture as we do about the style of 
our clothing ; slaves, following the fickle whims of pre- 
tended leaders of society. The largest portion of the 
buildings recently constructed for stores and dwellings 
are more appropriate for barns and stables, as regards 
their exterior outlines. 


28 


A Strange Voyage, 

When will the masses cease to, fool like, follow the 
leadership of the few, as though they have no right to 
assert their sovereign independence and intelligently 
think '?Lnd act for themselves. 

Every public building and dwelling of the beautiful 
city was an inspiration of good taste ; all were sur- 
rounded by gardens kept in perfect order, and a large 
space on the outer side of the sidewalks was also adorned 
with statuary and flowers. None of the streets were 
less than 200 feet in width, and all of them had a double 
row of tall shade trees in the centre, forming an arched 
shelter above the double motor tracks. There were 
four large suburban parks at right angles from each 
other, and an extensive central square in which were 
conveniently grouped the oflicial buildings, which were 
beautifully relieved with shrubbery, flowers, statuary, 
fountains and miniature lakes. 

Four broad avenues crossed the city at right angles, 
two of them through the square to the suburban parks ; 
they were equipped with the most improved facilities 
for rapid transit. Each of the suburban parks con- 
tained two magnificent bath houses, with extensive 
swimming ponds, one for males, the other for females ; 
they were in charge of competent trainers, and were 
much resorted to by the young folks. Every suit of 
apartments in all their dwellings and public buildings 
had bath rooms as well. 

The wisdom displayed in the uncrowded arrange- 
ment of the dwellings was in pleasing contrast to our 


29 


A Strange Voyage. 

disorderly, unsanitary method of constructing blocks of 
buildings in solid masses, shutting out air and sunshine, 
breeding disease and death, and offending every sense 
of good taste and decency. There everything done for 
mutual good ; the highest culture attainable. 

Edith asked: “How are your cities constructed.?’^ 

I replied : “As a rule, without strict regard for the 
general comfort and health of the people.” 

“Not intentionally so, I hope.” 

“Not exactly intentional, but just as bad as if it 
were ; for it is the result of false principles that per- 
meate our entire economic system, and which from 
their very nature are antagonistic to mutual good ; in 
fact, a code of ethics that forces humanity in self de- 
fence to extort a greedy profit from others. This is 
why history continues to repeat itself in scenes of usur- 
pation, revolution and revenge. When we change our 
base and build on the ever good producing principles 
of equity, history will cease to repeat itself in contin- 
uous blundering.” 

“You are right, for we owe our great progress to 
the fact that we have expunged, every selfish incentive 
from public and private life.” 

“We are eternally dealing with the evil results of 
specific causes, and neglect to remove the causes pro- 
ducing them.” 

“I see you are intensly interested in our buildings; 
although the most of them are very massive, they are 
so constructed that sunlight and pure air reaches every 


30 


A Strange Voyage, 

apartment, and pleasant sights greet the vision from 
every window and outlook ; even the inner courts or 
squares of every block are beautiful lawns and flower- 
beds. Everything calculated to offend good taste is 
strictly forbidden.” 

“The majority of our people would consider that 
arbitrary interferance with their individual rights.” 

“I judge by that, your people do not clearly dis- 
criminate between liberty and license. We maintain 
that liberty consists in a rule of action that conscien- 
tiously respects the rights of others.” 

“Your ethics are admirable. With us, liberty is 
defined according to the moral development of individ- 
uals, and unfortunately, it is too frequently interpreted 
as a license for trespass and tyranny. Very few can 
even dwell near each other without division fences. 
The moral school teacher has plenty yet to do ; and 
just restraining forces are necessary to preserve a state 
of order, that a more highly developed people would 
easily maintain by the voluntarily exercise of will. 

“Notwithstanding the majority are seemingly ignor- 
ant or indifferent about their moral responsibility towards 
their fellow creatures, we know that many have evo- 
luted to the higher moral plains, and are fully capable 
of leading and living the equitable, industrial form of 
government, when the thought of the world is suffi- 
ciently awakened to allow them to do so. If they at- 
tempted it in its entirety now, it would be crushed out 
of existence.” 


31 


A Strange Voyage, 

“With your assent we will defer our conversation, 
and I will leave you in the care of this lady until after 
dinner, as I desire to call on a number of my personal 
friends who reside in this city.” 

Our motor stopped. She alighted, and we pro- 
ceeded on our tour of inspection, and a few minutes 
afterwards drew up before a beautiful group of build- 
ings on elevated ground in the centre of an artificial 
lake with park-like borders, relieved by ornamental 
landing pavilions and boat houses. The water course 
was two miles around and five hundred feet in width, 
and the number of pretty row-boats and shells it con- 
tained attested the enjoyable use of the lake. 

My lady escort said: “This is the High Grade 
College of the district. This city enjoys the reputa- 
tion of being the gi'eatest seat of learning. The 
delightful climate has had much to do in making it 
such a favorable educational resort, for the instructive 
facilities all over our planet are of the most liberal 
character, and all our people have the right to avail 
themselves of every branch of instruction without limit, 
and those who signally excel usually come to this city 
to complete their education. Graduation from here is 
considered a distinguished honor. How are your 
educational systems regulated.?” 

“ Even in the nations that have free schools, making 
education available to all who are able to attend, so 
arbitrary are the necessities of the industrial classes, 
under our merciless grabbing competitive system, that 


32 


A Strange Voyage. 


the majority of their children cannot avail themselves 
of even the full advantage of the lower grades, as they 
are compelled to work while mere children. The 
higher grades of instruction are possible only to those 
of ample means ; hence the law of adaptability is seldom 
impartially applied, and genius too frequently ekes out 
a living death in the slums, 

‘And waste its fragrance on the desert air.*” 

“How lacking in common sense economy ! How 
deficient in justice! How antagonistic to every prin- 
ciple of order ! 

“Our systems of training are methodically adapted 
to most completely develope the mental qualifications 
of each student ; this not only ensures a speedier acqui- 
sition of knowledge, but also most effectual!}^ fits them 
for the uses which nature hajs given the most talent for. 
We avoid the waste of talent and energy that the com- 
petitive system forces you to lose, and thus society 
collectively derives every possible advantage from the 
respective talents of each individual. We seek the 
highest knowledge in all departments of life, and 
endeavor to live it, for neither sectarian, ignorant nor 
selfish influences are allowed to retard it.” 

I had been mentally contrasting their state of perfect 
freedom with our ten-thousandfold hampered aspira- 
tions of truth, and the mountain barriers in the way of 
our desire to spread them broadcast for human emancipa- 
tion, until I felt as if the cankering fetters of superstition 


33 


A Strange Voyage, 

and despotism were wearing away the bruised and 
decaying flesh from my limbs. 

Light! Light! Oh Truth! Thy picrceing rays, 

Shed brightly o’er the darkest ways. 

In all sincerity I replied to her remarks: “I am 
becoming more and more infatuated with your admira- 
ble government ; it is so far superior to ours, that on 
my return to our planet it will be difficult for me to be 
contented.” 

“ Not that gloomy I hope! You may become so 
absorbed in the endeavor to improve the conditions on 
your planet, as to totally lose sight of your personal 
discomfort.” 

We crossed over one of the bridges, passed around 
the college buildings and over the opposite bridge, then 
sped along again about the city. I was fascinated with 
the great variety of delightful views. 

We passed two lines of children, boys and girls, 
who saluted us in a very animated way. They belonged 
to the juvenile classes of a district school and were 
out taking calisthenic and walking exercise under 
the direction of teachers. They went through some 
pretty evolutions as they marched. It was a part of 
the daily school exercises of the younger children in 
fine weather. 

Many beautiful motors were speeding about, and 
the occupants of several of them going in company, 
paused and greeted us. 


34 


A Strange Voyage, 

My guide said : “ They are the traveling profes- 
sionals of our district about to start on their annual tour 
of the planet. They are making their parting calls. 
Pro rata the population, a sufficient number of them are 
selected from the different sections, to ensure a constant 
variety of enjoyable entertainments to all parts of the 
planet. They are under the management of the bureau 
of amusements.” 

“ How are they paid ? ” 

“ Really! Excuse me! I do not clearly understand 
you ; we have no such term in use here.” 

“ I mean how are they provided for.? ” 

“Now I understand your meaning fully. Every 
person between certain ages performs some use, and all 
of us during that period are under the direct manage- 
ment of the bureau controlling the uses to which we 
are assigned. There cannot be any difficulty about our 
being provided for, as our whole system of production 
and distribution is very methodical, and the fullest 
needs of all are amply supplied. The traveling pro- 
fessionals have a certified passport, which admits them 
free to all hotels, restaurants, railways, ocean and river 
packets, etc., and also the privilege to select any article 
of clothing, dry goods, books, stationery, etc. The 
pass, properly, is only a certificate of the use performed 
by the holder. It is rarely ever necessary for any per- 
son to show it, for it is but a formality of orderly 
equity ; a security against criminal idleness.” 


35 


A Strange Voyage, 

“ Do you have any lazy people to deal with? ” 

“None that I am aware of. We make all avoca- 
tions so pleasant and of such short duration each day 
that they are cheerfully performed.” 

“ Do any of your people ask for and receive more 
of anything than they can usefully appropriate? ” 

“ That rarely, if ever, occurs, except among a few 
of the imperfectly developed young folks, for our boys 
and girls enjoy, as their elders, the privilege of making 
their own selections. And even should they manifest a 
greedy spirit at times, they would be kindly admonished 
of the danger of developing selfish traits of character. 
More than one lesson is seldom needed.” 

“I should judge that such a lavish gratification of 
all your needs would tend to lessen your appreciation 
of them, and consequently a carelessness and waste.” 

“Not the least tendency that way, for we do not 
countenance waste in any form. As soon as we find 
an overplus of any line we at once lessen the production 
of it and use the surplus skill and labor in developing 
some of the new ideas which are constantly being con- 
ceived. As we have taken quite a long ride this morning, 
would you like to take a stroll through the park before 
dinner?” 

“It will afford me the greatest pleasure, as I am 
passionately fond of flowers.” 

We alighted, entered the park, and remained 
there nearly an hour, examining the many new species 
of flowers and shrubs. 


36 


A Strange Voyage, 

We dined at a commodious restaurant in the park. 
No checks were seiwed as gentle reminders of the 
absolute fiat of money and its pernicious function of 
exacting a profit in barter by its use ; thus preventing 
an orderly and equitable use of the abundant resources 
of nature. By the disuse of all representatives of 
value — tempting to selfish acquisition — they had re- 
moved every impediment to the fullest attainment of 
productive success and impartial distribution, and a 
corresponding higher moral and intellectual develope- 
ment was the result. 

The fitful, feverish changes of commerce and the 
industries affected thereby on our planet by the sense- 
less use of money were presented vividly to my mind, 
and I saw clearly how hopeless the outlook is to equita- 
bly adjust our economic relations whilst money or any 
other representative of values is in use. The gradual 
absorbtion of the wealth and property into the hands of 
the few, thus impoverishing and making the many 
more dependent, is teaching this lesson in unmistakable 
language. 

Edith returned and said: “We are booked fora 
fete.” 

We crossed the beautiful park and passed with an 
immense throng into the finest building in the city. 

I have witnessed many notable gatherings in Europe 
and America, much commented on for their magnitude, 
great beauty and novelty, but the grandeur of the re- 
ception accorded us on this occasion, surpassed them all. 


37 


A Strange Voyage. 

Such a vast array of beauty and intelligence, refined 
elegance of apparel, absence of assumed dignity, and 
withal such perfect order was unexcellable. 

The fete was the more instructive and enjoyable 
than similar gatherings on our planet, for all snobbish 
pretensions and obsequiousness were absent.' Instead 
of the titled or favored few receiving all the honors and 
attentions as their sole right, while the gaping, servile 
multitude contemplates them with a sickening admira- 
tion, there all were on a perfect social equality ; the 
only ones singled out for extra attention, were those 
whose superior attainments elicited the spontaneous 
admiration and respect of others. 

The auditorium was a thousand feet in diameter, 
forming a pentagon, thus affording the entire audience 
an unobstructed view of all that transpired on the stage, 
which was of immense proportion. The exterior outline 
of the building was an ellipse, relieved by massive, 
richly carved columns, supporting the roof and forming 
three spacious colonnades ; making beautiful sheltered 
promenades around the entire structure. Four tall or- 
namental towers intervened between the colonnades, 
adding to the symmetrical beauty of the structure, 
their upper stories affording fine views. 

There were several splendid halls inside the build- 
ing, so arranged as not to interfere with the most com- 
plete ventilation of each other. The auditorium was 
directly in the centre, and received ample light from 
elaborate skylights of polished metal framework, and 


38 


A Strange Voyage, 

stained glass, and from several windows of the same 
material, which admitted subdued light from the sides. 

The electric light fixtures formed flowers, beauti- 
fully tinted rosettes and festooned garland ; the designs 
were frequently changed during the year, to ensure 
pleasing novelty. The interior finish was superb. Pol- 
ished marbles and stones, inlaid with non-tarnishable 
metals, were lavishly combined with intricate sculptures 
and decorations. A fine gallery fringed the walls 
above the seats on three sides of the pantagon. The 
seats in the gallery were rotary and beautifully uphol- 
stered. Those on the main floor were also elegant, but 
of light construction, so as to be convenient for moving 
when desired. 

We were ushered to seats on the stage, and imagine 
my surprise shortly after the assembly was. called to 
order, on being invited to speak on the social and gov- 
ernmental conditions of our planet. I was very much 
embarrassed when introduced to the audience, but mus- 
tered sufficient courage to speak as follows : 

“Mr. chairman, ladies and gentlemen. Since my 
arrival on your planet, it has been a continuous series 
of pleasant surprises, and your entire system of govern- 
ment is so superior to ours, that in attempting to out- 
line our customs to you, I am placed in the position of 
a dullard from a primary school endeavoring to interest 
a class of finished scholars. Grant me your forbear- 
ance, and I will endeavor to briefly describe them to you. 


39 


A Strange Voyage. 

“Instead of being united in one orderly planetary 
government as you are, we are divided into nations, 
classed as civilized, semi-civilized and barbarous. 
Nearly all speak different languages, and have widely 
different tastes and habits. 

“Puffed up with selfish nativisms falsely styled 
patriotism, and infused with a merciless ambition to 
aggrandize themselves at the expense of weaker foes, 
necessarily civilized and savage, alike, devote a great 
portion of their energies and productive forces to of- 
fensive and defensive armament ; all jealous of each 
other, and each selfishly endeavoring to control the 
world’s commerce and wealth to their own particular 
advantage. 

“This competition between nations necessitates pro- 
tective tariffs, boundary disputes, imaginary trespasses 
and insults. The peace of to-day may be the eve of a 
savage war on the morrow. Large battle ships plough 
the seas, manned and equipped ready for the signal of 
combat. The shores lined with massive fortresses, 
bristling with instruments of destruction. Large armies 
are fed, clothed and armed — a merciless tax on industry 
— like wild beasts ready to spring on their foes. The 
natural outcome of this is usurpation, pompous pre- 
tension of rank and power of the few, and a corres- 
ponding servility, poverty and demoralizing of the 
masses. The worst forms of murder legalized, and 
oppression and robbery made respectable. The same 
state of selfish competition that exists between the 


40 


A Strange Voyage, 

several governments is also in operation in the com- 
mercial and social usages of each nation ; then on 
learning these facts it will not surprise you to hear that 
existence is precarious to the masses, even in the midst 
of the greatest productive harvests. 

“Our locked granaries are loaded to overflowing, 
while millions hunger for bread, and willing toilers’ 
hands are tied, not even allowed the privilege of work- 
ing, but as the caprice of the few who control capital 
deem it a source of greater wealth and power by giving 
them employment. Thus the opportunities to procure 
steady employment are decreasing in direct ratio to the 
accumulation of capital in the hands of the few. The 
masses are chained to a wage-serfdom, with barely 
sufficient compensation for decent support, even when 
steadily employed, which is very rare, and the dread of 
non-employment, which is likely to occur at almost any 
time in the near future, hangs like a funeral pall over 
every toilers’ life, clouding every ray of sunshine, and 
stifling every noble aspiration. Church steeples tower 
to the skies in every city and hamlet ; religious precepts 
and moral codes are taught to every congregation, but 
seemingly of little avail, for so debasing are the influ- 
ences of greedy competition, that even in the sanctua- 
ries the minds of many are in the marts of trade while 
their lips are mumbling prayers. 

“The Golden Calf is worshiped more than aught 
else. Refined robbers revel in luxurious debauchery. 


A Strange Voyage, 41 

and poverty, ignorance and superstition meet us where 
ever we turn. 

“Every phase of human progress is retarded by our 
selfish strife, and generation after generation repeat the 
mistakes of their forefathers. Gorgeous palaces for 
some, with park-like surroundings, in some portions of 
our cities , and, as if in mocking contrast, in other parts 
vile tenements, reeking alleys and streets of vilest 
order, offending every sense of decency and refinement. 

“The mental obtuseness and stubborn pertinacity of 
our people is astonishing indeed, for if they would, they 
could profit by this lesson alone, and clearly see that 
the non-competitive system of government would 
abolish all such unpleasant sights and surround us with 
the true and beautiful in their stead. But why should I 
throw a shadow over the cheerfulness of this bright 
assembly, by continuing longer to present the despica- 
ble sight of a planet’s people obstinately working 
against their material and spiritual w’elfare ; practicing 
a code of ethics that makes the unlimited profits of one 
class the loss and destitution of all others. 

“Thanking you sincerely for your generous and 
courteous hospitality and the honor you have so unex- 
pectedly conferred upon me, believe me, I will ever 
treasure this occasion in grateful remembrance.” 

The chairman made a few eloquent and complimen- 
tary remarks in reply, then announced the programme. 

The occupants of the stage took seats in the 
private boxes which had been reserved for them, but 


42 


A Strange Voyage* 

my guide and I, preferring to mingle with the audience, 
seated ourselves on the main floor and witnessed a fine 
play, interspersed with delightful songs. 

Supper was announced at six o’clock, and the audi- 
ence filed out from twelve large doors into as many 
restaurants, in the building, each having a seating 
capacity for a thousand guests. 

In the meantime the main hall was cleared for a 
pantomine procession, which continued for an hour. 
Dancing followed, and was kept up until eleven, the 
latest hour of any of their entertainments, so particular 
were they about observing the laws of health. 

I escorted my fair partner to her hotel, went to my 
apartments and retired. I could not sleep, for I was 
bewildered with a complex crossfire of the soul, pleased 
and perplexed, stirred alternately with hope and doubt. 
Did Edith feel towards me as I did towards her, was 
the question that absorbed me and banished sleep. If 
she did, why did she hold me in check with such consu- 
mate skill, deftly changing the conversation when I 
grew too sentimental, and successfully preventing me 
from openly avowing my love. Oh, woman! How far 
more able than man in all the tactics of love ; thy very 
gentleness and grace, so alluring, so entrancing, lead us 
venturing forward, until with fearless charge and hope 
of triumph, we recklessly risk our fate, to find ourselves 
ambushed and flanked by a superior generalship. 

Perhaps I had not sufficiently grown in the spiritual 
graces as to be on equal ground with her, for had she 


43 


A SU'ange Voyage, 

not given me, on several occasions, an insight into the 
sublimated essence of soul life, so far above our selfish 
animal instincts. 

Again, I thought, that, as I belonged to another 
planet, and "was to remain but a short time on Venus, 
that though she did feel attracted to me, yet she had 
sufficient self control to hide it for our mutual good ; it 
seemed plausible, but it was difficult for me to reconcile 
myself to the inevitable, 

Sleep seemed impossible ; I arose, donned my 
dressing gown and sat by the w'indow, facing the 
brilliantly illuminated park. 

Whether or not my restlessness had been noticed, 
was the query; but it appeared so, for as soon as I 
approached the window, soothing strains of sweetest 
melody came flow'ing, a gentle tide of harmony, into 
the room. Though slightly annoyed at the unexpected 
intrusion on my privacy, yet I w^as pleased and looked 
around in wonderment, endeavoring to ascertain from 
whence it came. I could not clearly determine its 
source, though it seemed to come through the beauti- 
ful scroll ornaments in the ceiling. The delightful 
sounds soon lulled me into a delicious sense of repose, 
and whilst still sufficiently awake I went to bed and 
soon entered Morpheus’ peaceful realm. 


44 


A Strange Voyage. 


CHAPTER III. ^ 

I had slept. soundly and it was late when I awoke. 
Having been informed the day before of an excursion 
to several cities on the jDlanet which was to start at nine 
o’clock, and to which my guide and I were invited, I 
did not waste much time in getting ready. 

I found sweet Edith awaititig me ; her manner frank 
and solicitous as usual, yet still reserved. We entered 
the breakfast hall. She smiled when I recounted my 
experience of the sweet lullaby strains of the chamber, 
though I did not hint at the cause of my sleeplessness. 
Really I thought she read it in my looks, for a gentle 
flush suffused her lovely face, though but for a moment, 
for she soon regained her marvelous composure, and 
said: “ Some of our sleeping rooms are so constructed 
that after midnight, foot pressure upon certain portions 
of the floors, sets the music in operation. It is run by 
electricity. In many buildings the occupants of the 
rooms can start or stop it at any time of the day or 
night by pressing either of the buttons which are placed 
convenient to the bed.” 

Our breakfast occupied us but a short time, as we 
were the only two of the party who had delayed. 

We bid adieu to our kind entertainers and took the 
train to a large manufacturing and distributing centre, 
which we reached in two hours. 


I 


45 


A Strange Voyage. 

The city was picturesquely located on the banks of 
a broad river, about a hundred miles from the sea. 

We remained there until evening and had ample 
opportunity to see the most attractive features. 

The first place visited was a massive ornamental 
tower in the central park. It was 1,500 feet high, and 
150 feet wide at the base, and contained twelve com- 
modious promenades or lookouts, and on the top of all 
an observatory. Twelve enclosed elevators were 
arranged in a very ingenious and safe manner, none of 
them going from the base direct to the top, but divided 
into three sections for safety sake. All the stories had 
handsome railings sufficiently high to prevent accidents 
to the too adventurous youths. Twenty feet back 
from the railings there were six rows of seats which 
slowly revolved at intervals of fifteen minutes, afford- 
ing the occupants the fullest opportunity to enjoy the 
delightful views. All the seats were single and rotary. 
Directly in the centre of each circle there was a commo- 
dious music stand, and concerts were rendered in them 
alternately during fine weather. 

The tower had numerous conveniences such as 
books, field glasses, refreshment stands, etc., all free of 
course. 

From our lofty lookout we could clearly define their 
sensible plan of building cities. The scene was like a 
beautiful picture of dreamland; our range of vision 
embraced a vast extent of the surrounding country. 


46 


A Strange Voyage, 

We were loath to leave when informed that we were 
to visit the sample stores, or bazaars, for the use of 
the people. A beautiful landscape always had a 
fascination for me, and that one in particular, for from 
our elevated position it extended in every direction and 
was varied with so many new and interesting features. 

We descended from the tower and merely had to 
cross a section of the park in the convenient motors, to 
reach one of the many groups of magnificent buildings. 

Each special line of goods were displayed in sepa- 
rate stores, which were pleasing to the most aBsthetic 
taste. They were connected with the warehouses and 
dwellings by perfectly constructed motors, and an 
orderly system of delivery was observed at specified 
hours in the morning and afternoon. This avoided 
unnecessary confusion at all hours of the day. 

The people made their selections from the samples 
in the bazaars, and the courteous demeanor of the male 
and female attendants towards them was very pleasant 
to contemplate. 

I asked Edith where the factories and warehouses 
were located. 

She said: “ They are always placed several miles 
from the residence portions of our cities.^’ 

“ Have you many sample stores in the large cities 

“Yes, quite a large number; so situated as to be 
convenient for the residents.” 

It was quite interesting to see the ladies and misses 
doing their shopping, giving their orders with perfect 


47 


A Strange Voyage, 

confidence, knowing that they would be scrupulously 
filled. And more interesting still to see no signs of 
money or pay checks given for them. 

Edith said: “None is required. Our census is so 
carefully kept, and our industrial methods so orderly, 
that if any person attempted to shirk the service allotted 
them it would be immediately known, and their right 
to receive bountiful support would cease.’’ 

“It is admirable. I am pained to admit, though 
we have facilities to produce far in excess of our wants, 
yet it is a common sight to see care-worn women hesi- 
tating before purchasing even the cheapest calicoes from 
their slender earnings, while in the same stores, others, 
well cared for and the wealthy classes, are perplexed 
how to find raiment rich and costly enough to suit their 
pride and taste.” 

“ With so many striking proofs of the inconsistency 
and cruel injustice of the money system it is very surpris- 
ing it has not long since been abolished.” 

“ I think so too, but our pretended political econo- 
mists persistently contend the contrary. Their moral 
imbecility is a striking illustration of compensatory law, 
for generations of greed have produced what a terse 
writer termed ‘ a moral ophthalmia.* 

“What would you do with those who refused to 
perform their use to society.^” 

“That is something unknown here, but if it should 
occur we would merely place them in a state of 
restraint, limiting their freedom to a small space around 


48 


A Strange Voyage. 

their dwellings and places of work, feed them on coarse 
diet, and exact extra hours work of them, until they 
gave satisfactory evidence of a desire to do right.” 

“Very wise and just, and I should judge far more 
reformatory and humane than harsh punishment.” 

The river frontage was laid out as a beautiful prom- 
enade, with convenient landings for passenger ships 
and pleasure boats. The vessels remained just long 
enough to land or receive passengers, then immediately 
moved to the docks or their other destinations. There 
were several pavillions which afforded ample shelter for 
the people who congregated there during the mornings 
and evenings. 

In reply to my expressions of admiration for the 
unobstructed river frontage, my guide said : “ Knowing 
the good influence of pleasant surroundings on the 
intellectual and moral development of the world, we 
endeavor to beautify them, more especially the scenes 
near the water, for the brooklets, rivers, lakes and seas 
are a source of great attraction to all who appreciate 
the beauties of nature. 

“Do your people observe the same rule on your 
planet? ” 

“In a few isolated cases similar conditions might be 
found, but as a rule, no. The most attractive natural 
beauties surrounding our cities, particularly near the 
rivers, lakes and oceans, are sacrificed to commercial 
rapacity.” 


49 


A Strange Voyage, 

“ Then your manufactories and warehouses are 
not confined to certain districts?” 

“No, they are likely to be constructed anywhere, 
and their smoke, dirt and unhealthy fumes poison the 
entire atmosphere of a district with impunity, particu- 
larly so if they are controlled by wealthy syndicates, for 
then the protests of adjacent residents are almost 
futile.” 

“ Have you no courts of equity to protect the rights 
of citizens against such encroachments?” 

“ Yes, we have courts in abundance, and laws with- 
out limit. The over-loaded shelves of statuary enact- 
ments would convey the impression that their practical 
application would be all-sufficient. They are seldom 
enforced, and it appears that all knowledge of them 
ceased at the time of their completion by the skilled 
hands of the printers and book-binders.” 

“Then I am to infer that even your laws are not 
enforced when they conflict with the selfish interests of 
monied corporations?” 

“They are supposed to be, but in reality they 
seldom are, for the officials are frequently too depend- 
ant upon corporations for their positions, and they 
seldon voluntarily enforce such laws, which is their 
unquestionable duty to do ; and a legal contest by indi- 
viduals means expenditure of large sums of money in 
cases of that character, and very few are able to bear 
the expense involved.” 


50 


A Strange Voyage, 

“Ah I I perceive! Your legislators seem to have 
made the lavv^s almost entirely subservient to the 
pecuniary interests of the legal profession and capi- 
talists.” 

“You have measured the majority of them accu- 
rately, for we are surfeited with questionable legal 
enactments until we are nauseated, and cases of con- 
tention drag a weary process through the courts, some- 
times for years, which ordinary school children, of 
tender years, could correctly decide in a few minutes. 

“The moneyless fare poorly in the legal web, 
and it would seem that the web has so cleverly been 
spun through all the complicated phases of organized 
society, that the people, who either ignorantly or will- 
fully indifferent to their constituted rights, are like help- 
less flies, hopelessly entangled in its meshes, the prey of 
vampires.” 

“Another powerful reason why your planet should 
be freed from the corrupting influences of money.” 

“Yes, the more I contemplate its pernicious power 
of evil, the more convincing the necessity of doing away 
with its use, for I clearly see that it antagonizes every 
human interest, tempts to almost every crime, and as 
far as concerns all our material welfare gives the selfish 
knaves the advantage over nobler natures, and places 
the least meritorious in the lead in social, commercial 
and civil life.” 

We had been busily observing, as well as conversing, 
and I had thoroughly familiarized myself with the man- 


51 


A Strange Voyage, 

agement of the sample stores ; and with such an intelli- 
gent adviser and companion, the time was agreeably 
whiled away. 

She said: “ Would you like to visit the manufactur- 
ing departments of this district and see how they are 
conducted.? Here is a motor about to depart for therq.’’ 

We boarded the car and in a few minutes arrived 
there. We were shown through every department and 
their management briefly explained. The superin- 
tendent, who accompanied us about the factories, knew 
the art of saying much in few words. 

In , reply to my favorable comments on their indus- 
trial economy, he said: “We are ever on the alert to 
discover and apply better methods, so as to more 
speedily produce and also lessen the burden of produc- 
tive labor; and the same principle of economy is 
observed in the handling of production. Goods inva- 
riably go direct to the distributive centres for the con- 
sumers. How is this managed on your planet.?’^ 

“There are a few isolated individual systems of 
delivery from producers to consumers, but as a rule, 
manufactured goods, and nearly all forms of produc- 
tion, are usually shipped to many points to find a 
market for them, and they pass from the large jobbers, 
who generally receive them first from the manufacturers, 
to the wholesale dealers of the second class, and from 
them to the retail venders, each to make a profit out of 
their handling.’’ 


52 


A Strange Voyage. 

He said : “ It is certainly a criminal waste of energy 
and time, and very unjust as far as the consumers’ 
interests are concerned, for they certainly have to bear 
the burden of the whole of it.” 

“It has been estimated that one-half of the entire 
industrial service is thus uselessly engaged in bandying 
about and handling our productions. Add to this the 
hosts of cormorants who secure a good living without 
returning a just equivalent to society ; and the legions 
of professional office holders, whose only recognized 
use seems to be to increase the burden of taxation, and 
you can clearly understand why the producers drag 
through a weary existence of unfair-requited toil ; 
denied even an adequate share of the blessings of their 
own labor ; and why it is that the ceaseless, seething, 
hell-steaming fumes of greedy contention polute every 
avenue of life on our planet.” 

“Yes, I see that it cannot be othei'wise whilst the 
individual is forced by competition to concentrate all 
efforts to self-profit and self-aggrandizement, or become 
the dependant serf of others.” 

“You have an accurate knowledge of the diseased 
products of the competitive system.” 

“Yes, your advent among us has revived the history 
of it, for the news of your arrival, and the purpose of 
your visit, has been telegraphed to all parts of our 
planet, so do not be surprised if we are prepared to 
entertain you with dissertations on this topic.” 


53 


A Strange Voyage. 

We witnessed methods of dispatch in manufactur- 
ing — yet without hurry — that seemed almost incredible. 
The machinery was of polished metals of the most 
ingenious construction. The workmen were very intel- 
ligent and diligent; and order and cleanliness prevailed 
everywhere. 

“ Now, as I have shown you through all our depart- 
ments, allov/ me to introduce you to one of our district 
supervisors of industry, who will accompany you and 
your guide to the city : Mr. Orderly, Mr. Seekgood ; I 
perceive you are already acquainted with fair Edith.*’ 

We thanked the superintendent for his kind attention, 
bid him good-bye, and started for the city. 

We soon reached the hotel, and dined in excellent 
company. Perfect equality prevailed ; even the waiters 
took an active part in the conversation during dinner. 
It was liberty in its completest sense, divested of all 
affectations. I would have been a veritable dullard not 
to have noticed the wide difference between their social 
etiquette and ours, and the marked superiority of their 
entire social organism ; and this feature alone was suffi- 
cient text for a volume. I could not help thinking how 
false and blundering all our efforts in attempting to 
draw and perpetuate caste lines of social demarkation, 
which have been maintained so long in the old 
dynasties by usurpation, oppression and robbery. The 
proud and wealthy, looking with supercilious scorn or 
patronage upon the soul-crushed poor they have 
robbed, to maintain their ill-gotten power and pretense. 


54 


A Strange Voyage, 

When I see the titled or purse-proud lording it over 
others, I feel like asking them, whence the source of 
thy vain strutting airs and gaudy plumage? The pur- 
ple and ermine are, too frequently, convenient cloaks to 
hide all that is deformed and debasing in human nature. 
How necessary that we should properly appreciate the 
importance of this lesson as a factor in solving some of ) 
the most complex social problems of the age. ^ 

After dinner we accompanied Mr. Orderly to his 
office ; as we entered he said: “ As you are to leave us 
in a few hours, and have other places to see. I’ll 
endeavor to briefly explain the management of our J 
district industries.” He handed me a book. “Here 1 
you perceive that the age, educational attainments, and | 
aptitude of each person for any of the uses are carefully i 
tabulated. You can judge by this how easy it is for us *! 
to orderly apportion our uses so as to prevent a portion I 
of our people from becoming a burden to the rest. I 
From this list all our industries are kept fully supplied f 
with skilled labor and the highest order of executive I 
and educational ability ; not alone for home consump- I 
tion and instruction, but for orderly exchange with all * 
other parts of the planet as well.” 

We entered the alcove rooms, where the books were 
numerically arranged on shelves in a hundred large 
compartments, numbered from one to one hundred ; * 

one for each sub-district of the entire district. | 

The rooms were a series of alcoves and extended ! 
for several hundred feet, next the outer part of the 


55 


A Strange Voyage. 

beautifully scalloped building, for each alcove or com- 
partment formed a segment, and together they 
completed the entire circuit of the building. There 
were no doors between the rooms, all were connected 
with wide ornamental arches. Each room had an 
office with a statistician and an assistant, to attend to 
the recording of the productive, distributive and all 
other uses of the sub-district. They were in direct 
telegraphic and telephonic communication with the 
sub-district headquarters, of which they were the district 
offices of information. 

We passed through them and went to the central 
office or bureau of the district, which occupied the en- 
tire floor above. 

The desks were admirably aiTanged in circular form 
around the general supervisor of the district’s desk. 

The telegraph and telephone instruments were on 
the floor above, and all v/ere in direct communication 
with the desks in the office. 

The general supervisor was named Guardwell (Mr. 
Orderly introduced us) ; his noble and active mein was 
sufficient assurance that he was fittingly chosen for the 
responsible position he held. 

He said: “All the interests of this entire district, 
which is a ten thousandth part of the planet, are controlled 
through this and the one hundred statistical sub-district 
offices you have just visited. We are in direct commu- 
nication with, and under the co-operative management 
of, the section headquarters, of which this district is a 


56 


A Strange Voyage, 

hundredth part. The section is a hundredth part of the 
planet; there are one hundred in all, and all are in 
direct communication with, and under the co-operative 
control of, the centre of planetary government, of which 
you will learn more, as you are to go there before you 
return to your planet. In all that appertains to our 
local affairs we are free from outside supervision, yet 
we are intimately associated with the entire planet. The 
same civil and social usages are in operation everywhere, 
therefore we have no conflict of interests. 

“ The productive and distributive systems are the 
most important and vast of all our economic affairs, for 
they are the base of all our material, intellectual and 
spiritual welfare. Through them we maintain equita- 
ble relations with all parts of the planet, and, notwith- 
standing the immense amount of business done with the 
district sub-districts on the one hand and the sectional 
headquarters on the other, we transact it without any 
confusion or difficulty. All of the sub-district depart- 
ments report from circumference to a centre, which is 
this office, and this, as all the other districts of our 
section, to the section headquarters. 

“We have just received an inquiry from our section 
headquarters asking how many men we can furnish to 
assist in the construction of a vast system of aqueducts 
to be built in a remote section. This inquiry was first 
sent to the one hundred sections from the centre of 
government at the capitol of the planet. The sections 
thus speedily gather the desired information, etc., and 


57 


A Strange Voyage. 

immediately forward a reply ; sometimes this is done 
within an hour from the entire planet/^ 

Going to a speaking tube he communicated with the 
head statistician and in ten minutes received a reply to 
the question. A message was immediately telegraphed 
to section headquarters stating that they could spare 
one thousand men. 

Mr. Guardwell said: “We will receive orders when 
to send them in a few hours, and by this time to-morrow 
they will be on their way. How are your large enter- 
prises conducted ? ” 

“We would have to wait for capitalists to manipu- 
late stocks and bonds, etc., before the necessary capital 
could be raised, and then the workmen would be 
loosely gathered together by contractors, who pay as 
little wages as possible to them, and also herd them 
worse than cattle and treat them worse than slaves ; 
collecting back from them nearly the w'hole of their 
wages for the miserable fare and vile liquors sold to 
them. The main object of the stock gamblers and selfish 
contractors being to make a greedy profit, the work is 
imperfectly done. Enterprises under the control of the 
general government are usually retarded by lobbyists in 
the employ of syndicates, W'ho are contending for the 
contracts. So you see W'e are hampered and retarded 
by the pernicious power of money every way we turn.’’ 

“It certainly is very disorderly and unjust; we have 
no such corrupting power/’ 


53 


A Strange Voyage, 

As it was business hours, I feared to trespass on his 
time. I wished him good-day and retired. 

My guide who had been absent for some time 
returned, and in company with several of her friends, 
we took a boat ride on the river to a famous bathing 
resort. 

Early in the evening we were conducted to a large 
motor ship of symmetrical outline. 

My guide said : “We have many of this kind plying 
between the principal ports, and this one has been 
placed at our disposal for the entire voyage around the 
planet.’’ 


A Strange Voyage, 


59 


CHAPTER IV. 

The vessel was one thousand feet long and one 
hundred feet wide. The immense size made it almost 
impervious to the violent motion of the sea. 

As every necessary preparation had been timely 
made, we soon parted company with our many new 
made acquaintances, and started on our voyage. The 
speed was maiwelous. 

Edith said: “The vessel is propelled by motors, 
capable of producing almost limitless power, with 
scarcely any consumption of fuel. The motors are a 
combination of electric and hydraulic forces.’^ 

“Ah, I perceive that you have practically utilized 
what our scientists term ‘the hydrostatic paradox,’ by 
changing the wonderful force of fluid pressure when at 
rest to a more marvelous force when applied to motion.” 

“Each vessel is provided with several of these mo- 
tors, all acting independent of each other, and turning 
a separate propelling wheel. The maximum speed 
is one hundred miles an hour, and if no serious accident 
occurs, which is of very rare occurrence here, v/e’ll 
complete our passage to the next great port, including 
a stoppage of an hour, in nineteen hours, although the 
distance is eighteen hundred miles.” 

“I should judge there w'ould be many collisions 
from such rapid speed.” 


60 


A Strange Voyage. 

“Perhaps you do not realize that intelligent precau- 
tions also keep pace with inventions. Vessels going 
and coming have separate routes marked off for them 
on our nautical charts, and the commanders and officers 
of each vessel are careful to have their respective crafts 
follow the course mapped out. Sails are used only for 
pleasure in and about the harbors and rivers, conse- 
quently the risks of ocean travel are lessened, for a 
sailing ship’s course is necessarily a devious one, being 
subject to the fickle changes of the wind.” 

“But during heavy storms the vessels must necessa- 
rily deviate from the course laid out for them?’ 

“At times some may be forced out of their regular 
passage way, but it is of very rare occurrence, for our 
vessels are so large, and so easy of management, and 
also have a reserve motor power for use on occasions of 
that character, and besides we have a perfect signal 
system worked by electricity, self-acting — communicat- 
ing by a net-work of cables all over our planet — which 
give timely warning of storms ; and the vessels are so 
carefully constructed into compartments, that it is im- 
possible to sink them unless they are torn almost to 
pieces.” 

“You seem to spare neither skill, labor or material 
to insure comfort and safety ; but it seems incredible 
how you can afford the time to do everything so well.” 

“You seemingly forget that, according to your own 
statement, one-half of the working force of your planet 
is engaged in unnecessarily handling production for 


61 


A Strange Voyage, 

the purpose of extracting out of it a profit, without the 
labor of its production, and millions are engaged in the 
arts of war, millions seeking in vain for labor for sup- 
port, and millions more w'ho never perform a day’s 
honest use in the world that supports them. Now, if 
even one-half of this vast multitude was applied to 
necessary uses, do you not see clearly, that even more 
than you have seen here could be accomplished on your 
planet with but a few hours labor a day?” 

“Ido.” 

“Do you exercise much care in the conduct of ocean 
and land travel ?” 

“Our enterprises are conducted on the basis that 
the least expenditure in their conduct will insure the 
largest pecuniary profit to their projectors, and all other 
considerations are secondary to that.” 

“ How devoid of moral obligation to the rights of 
others! ” 

“Yes, we are living under a code of ethics where 
the principle of eminent domain is seldom conspicuous.” 

The scenery down the river was beautiful. It was 
nearly dark when we reached the ocean, so we retired 
to the cabin, partook of a light repast, then whiled away 
an hour or two in pleasant conversation, and retired 
early, for the day had been a busy and eventful one. I 
was assigned to a spacious stateroom, furnished in ele- 
gant style ; the ventilation was perfect, and a heavy 
plateglass window afforded a view of the moonlit 
sea. I was tired and soon fell asleep. 


62 


A Strange Voyage. 

The next day being cloudy and wet, we did not 
spend much time on deck, but passed the hours in de- 
scribing to each other the customs of our respective 
planets, and interspersing the conversation with songs 
and instrumental music. Several talented singers and 
musicians were among the passengers. 

We stopped at an island covered with orchards and 
garden-like farms. A large bay, with a massive break- 
water for its protection, formed a secure shelter for its 
fleet of pretty boats and motors and vessels that occa- 
sionally called there. We stayed there nearly two 
hours to deliver some freight and receive and deliver 
the mails, thus affording us ample time to go ashore 
and see the picturesque inland scenery, for the clouds 
and rain had disappeared. I asked one of the inhabi- 
tants if they ever felt lonely on their “sea girt isle.^” 
He replied : “ Not in the least, for we have the privi- 

lege of going away during our many vacations, and 
besides our buildings are on the hotel plan, with all the 
modern facilities of culture, and vessels frequently stop 
here on their regular joassage between the port you left 
and other places. Far from being lonely, we have 
more applicants for homes on our island than we can 
well accommodate. They are generally the families of 
sea-faring men.” 

The bell called us aboard, and we departed at sun- 
set, its golden halo disappearing as distance dimmed 
the island from our view, and purple shadows softly 
spread a mantle of darkness o’er the lingering sun- 


63 


A Strange Voyage. 

beams, that seemed regretful to close the beautiful 
twilight. How like the coming of night to the clouding 
of many of the brightest hopes of my youth ; the sever- 
ing of life’s dearest ties by the inevitable reaper; the 
tear-moistened mound in the peaceful, ancient church- 
yard, where oft-times in the quiet of departing day, my 
footsteps lingered, whilst I held tender communion with 
the memory of the departed loved ones ; even then the 
thought would occur whether the sunset of our brief in- 
complete life here was the all of conscious individuality t 
Or, w'hether, like the coming of another morn, arrayed 
in habiliments of finer texture we are to continue 
through a succession of new births to a still higher ex. 
istence. 

Edith gently touched my shoulder, saying: “Let 
us enter the cabin.” 

What a fullness of meaning in the contact of the 
hand fraught with tender sympathy; such a thrilling 
power to change the gloom to brightest hope. Sweet 
woman, thou art as joyous sunshine to the soul. 

The evening was replete with interest, for we had 
some splendid actors aboard, both from Venus and the 
other planets as well. Forgetting for the time my own 
marvelous journey to Venus in a single night, I asked 
Edith how so many could come at one time from other 
planets t 

She replied; “As we progress we become more 
familiar with the op'erative forces of nature. I presume 
many advanced minds on your planet possess a knowl- 


64 


A Strange Voyage, 

edge of things, which if they should attempt to make 
known, would cause them to be adjudged insane, and 
thus it is that the ignorant majority prohibit the expres- 
sion of truth, and retard their own and others progress. 
Centuries of unobstructed development have revealed 
to us many wonderful secrets of nature, and among 
them the power of rapid volation through seemingly 
limitless space at will.” 

A venerable looking sage approached: “Allow me 
to introduce you to a representative of Saturn, the most 
spiritually advanced planet in our solar system.” 

I found him a very interesting and instructive con- 
versationalist. In reply to my inquiries about the gov- 
ernmental ethics of Saturn, he said: “The prevailing 
system on our planet is nearly the same as it is on 
Venus, the result of steady progression; although we 
too, had to make some very radical changes during 
brief periods in the remote past.” 

“I presume that, like ours, many persons predicted 
a loss of individuality as your planet merged from the 
competitive to the non-competitive form of govern- 
ment.?” 

“Our histories show that they were in a majority for 
some time and kept us chained to unscientific methods 
of economy, fearing the consequences of the transitory 
stages, but the changes were made and an increased 
and nobler individuality was the result. 

“Did it ever occur to you that any law founded 
upon absolute truth is inevitably progressive, resulting 


65 


A Strange Voyage, 

onJy in good, whilst the contrary is the result of all 
human efforts when they are based on falsity?” 

“Yes, I have thought so since boyhood, and it was 
the main incentive that enlisted me in reform work.” 

“I am gratified to learn of your satisfactory solution 
of problems now confronting us. The seeming purpose 
of our political economists has been to so frame legis- 
lation that a class can successfully dominate and legally 
rob all others, and the gibbet, imprisonment and the 
lash are deemed necessary instruments to enforce obedi- 
ence to their dictum.” 

“We would consider such a policy outrageous, for 
certainly it must tend to an increase of crime.” 

“I am sorry to admit that it is gradually increasing 
on our planet, notwithstanding the garbled statistics to 
prove the contrary. Some of the worst offenses perpe- 
trated against morality and the material rights of 
humanity are not included in the category of crimes, 
yet they are steadily sapping away at the foundation of 
the v/hole structure of society. Let me cite a few of 
them: Stock gambling ; real estate speculation, which 
is the greatest robbery of the age, for the land is 
the source of all support and is the natural free 
right of humanity ; adulteration of almost every article 
of commerce, one of the most despicable methods 
of stealing; syndicate control of the mines and their 
output; levying of oppressive taxes to support the 
titled and untitled rulers in extravagant luxury, etc., 
etc. ; all insidious methods of trespass, tacitly legalized 


66 A Strange Voyage, 

and garnished over with a flimsy tinsel of respecta- 
bility/^ 

“It is the result of a greedy incentive as a stimulus 
of action/’ 

“To change the subject, I would like to know what 
produces the appearance of a ring around your planet?” 

“It is a sublimated magnetic aura, an emanation 
from the advanced spiritual life or thoughts of the 
people. It is more luminous in proportion to its quan- 
tity than the unsublimated magnetic light of the 
sun and its planets. It is a condition existing about the 
exterior of the atmospheres of all the planets, but not 
in sufficient quantity to assume a positive visible form 
as around our favored sphere. Even this potent power 
is so influenced by conditions surrounding it, that it 
must gather together in sufficient strength to be positive 
to the semi-negative mass about it before it can be 
prominently distinguished from its environments. To 
briefly sum it up, it is a higher manifestation of all life, 
and is a tangible reality, an organic law of the universe.” 

“Thank you for your information, and also for 
increasing my range of mental vision.” 

He said: “Let us enter the grand salon, they have 
promised us a pleasant theatrical entertainment for a 
few hours.” 

He bowed and retired as Edith approached, who 
accompanied me in, and seated together we enjoyed the 
performance. At its conclusion we parted for the night 
and retired. 


67 


A Stt'ange Voyage. 

I lay awake for some time in wonderment of the 
novelty of my situation. Traveling like a fabled prince, 
surrounded with every conceivable luxury, over the 
seas of another planet at a marvelous rate of speed 
with a feeling of perfect security. 

A soft electric light enhanced the beauty of all the 
chaste and intricate decorations of the room, which 
were in perfect harmony with the elaborate finish of 
the cabins. What luxury! Available to all without 
abuse. How different on our planet I Thus musing 
I fell asleep. 

W e arose quite early in a warmer latitude. Cloth- 
ing adapted to the climate had been thoughtfully placed 
at my disposal, which I donned, and went on deck in 
time to witness the glorious sunrise at sea. 

A prominent headland was in sight, which we soon 
rounded, and before us lay an extensive bay studded 
with islands, forming an excellent shelter for the city 
we were nearing. 

The mist, like the intricate, delicate tracery of a 
bridal curtain, was airily suspended in wavy folds about 
the face of awakening day, enhancing its beauty, fresh- 
ened by repose. The gentle off-shore breeze wafted 
a delicious scent from dew-laden fruit trees and flowers, 
and the glittering streams of aurora tinted all nature 
with golden glory, making an enchanting landscape. 

We passed slowly through the large fleet of shipping 
in the harbor and dropped anchor in front of the city. 
A committee of lady and gentlemen officials welcomed 


68 


A Strange Voyage, 

us to the city. We accompanied them ashore and 
landed at a magnificently constructed wharf, tastefully 
decorated in honor of our visit. 

Many thousands of people were assembled to greet 
our arrival. Some arranged themselves with bands and 
singing choirs on both sides of the way as we passed 
from the landing to the hotel, on reaching which W'e 
were conducted to breakfast. After the meal we 
retired for a brief period to re-arrange our toilets, then 
repaired to a spacious hall and held a reception for an 
hour. 

The hotel covered the outer part of an entire block, 
forming a hollow square, but was recessed front and 
rear with wide spaces to admit ample sunlight and air 
to every room. The outline was far prettier than a 
series of solid fronts, for it admitted of more architect- 
ural display. I had not seen an illy-lighted or poorly 
ventilated building since my arrival on the planet, yet 
the buildings were in endless variety, and of beautiful 
architectural proportion and adornment. 

We mingled freely with the occupants of three sides 
of the hotel, one side being reserved for the use of visi- 
tors touring the planet. The families were allotted suites 
of six or more rooms, and single persons two — a cham- 
ber and sitting room. All enjoyed the quiet and 
convenience of home and hotel life combined, freed 
from all the petty annoyances of separate house-keeping 
and without dread of the rent collector or constable’s 
notice to vacate. 


69 


A Strange Voyage. 

Horses or beasts of burden, dogs, fowl, etc., were 
not allowed in any of the cities, and seldom were 
animals used anywhere, except in very hilly and unset- 
tled districts. Their absence was a source of comfort 
and cleanliness. 

As they extended the area of cultivation the roads 
were constructed for motor and rail carriages. 

Edith asked me : “How do you like our ways as 
you gain further insight into them ? ” 

I replied: “They are far superior to ours. The 
majority on our planet are always in a state of anxiety 
about even the common necessaries of life, which are 
not assured them a month in advance, in fact, with 
millions, not a day ahead.” 

“You do not produce sufficient then, I presume.” 

“No trouble about producing a plenty, but the 
difficulty is in the distribution of it.” 

“How is that.? But excuse me, I remember you 
giving me a description of your competitive arrayed 
interests, but really it is so absurd that it seems impos- 
sible for a people to be so foolish.” 

“Too real indeed ! Those who by their skill and 
labor make the soil and minerals produce the comforts 
of life, are but serfs of capitalists who appropriate the 
best of the producers’ toil.” 

“That is deplorable indeed. Do your people not 
see the injustice of it.? ” 

“Yes, millions are aware of it, but the great diffi- 
culty is how to begin doing without the use of money. 


70 A Strange Voyage. 

which they realize is the sole cause. Can you point 
the way.? ” 

“Unfortunately the only practical form is that which 
will at first meet with most opposition and ridicule ; 
the purely non-competitive ; which can only be insti- 
tuted as a result of educating the people in a thorough 
knowledge of its great superiority over the prevailing 
systems, and by the growth and rapid encroachments 
of monopoly upon the rights of the people, who in time 
will revolt and overthrow it. 

“You can readily perceive the absolute necessity for 
the universal spread of economic ethics, so that when 
the crisis does come there will be sufficient knowledge 
of co-operative government to desire it, and institute it 
immediately in the place of the system overthrown, 
thus preventing riot and revenge, and a lapse back to 
repeat over again the same mistakes. 

“The whole problem of government is embraced in 
two simple propositions : Promote all that is condusive 
to human happiness, and prohibit all that is injurious to 
the common weal. 

“The new government of the future must be firmly 
founded injustice. All false precedents must be ignored, 
for all attempts to inaugurate it with a temporizing policy 
of compromise, with even the least of the errors now in 
existence, would be as absurd as endeavoring to culti- 
vate weeds and flowers successfully in the same flower 
pot.” 


71 


A Strange Voyage, 

“I fully agree with you and have long since realized 
that the wage question, tariffs, income and land tax 
problems will cut no figure in the solution of our civil, 
social and industrial welfare in the near future/’ 

“You are right, they will not. Now, if agreeable, 
we’ll take the train for the manufactories.” 

A few minutes ride took us there. We were met 
by a committee and conducted through the various 
departments. The machinery and all the arrangements 
were on a scale of perfection, equal to the exhibit of a 
first-class exposition. Even the walls and ceilings 
were decorated. ' 

Noticing that many of the machines were similar to 
ours, my guide said: “Inventions, as all phases of 
j^rogress, are governed by inevitable law. Discoveries 
may be simultaneously made on several or all of the 
planets at the same time. Our minds are receptacles 
of higher intelligences, which flow into us as we pre- 
pare ourselves by soul discipline to receive and apply 
them.” 

“Then none of us can claim originality for either 
invention or authorship?” 

“In the sense that all life is but an expression of 
truths or forces that are inherent in nature, and are 
not of our creation, no ; but, in another sense, yes. 
Inventors and authors are entitled to the credit of 
developing and portraying them. While many inven- 
tions that have a similarity of form and quality may 
appear to have been discovered simultaneously by 


72 


A Strange Voyage, 

several inventors on the same planet, and many 
persons may appear to have introduced similar 
thoughts at the same time, yet there is an absolute law 
that controls the birth of new inventions and new ideas 
on all of the planets. The antecedents and life of the 
individual must first undergo a process of soul disci- 
pline, to evolute into a fit receptacle for them. When 
any claim is in dispute, in all justice, the honor should 
be accorded to the person who first presented them 
and whose life has been in accord with the work, for to 
such Divine intelligence flows in greatest measure. 

“Still another test is the marked individuality of 
authors, by which we can readily discover their work 
and detect those who steal it. Do you have many 
plagiarists on your planet V* 

“I am sorry to say we have a few, for greed cor- 
rupts even our talented. The incentive of a short road 
-to wealth will induce them to steal the whole plot of 
another’s literary work, and after slightly changing, 
and redressing the wording, bring it out as the labor of 
their own thought. As a rule, however, authors are 
above such scurrilous tricks and take a pride in keeping 
literature unsullied. But pardon me for saying so 
much on this subject, I know you are as anxious to 
show me around these immense works as I am to see 
them.” 

The buildings were grouped together so as ensure 
economy in the handling of all material from beginning 
to finish. 


73 


A Strange Voyage, 

The general manager and superintendents were 
men of the highest order of ability; no corrupting 
influences could interfere with the choice of a person 
■for any position, they had to be eminently qualified 
before being entrusted with positions of responsibility. 

I was introduced to the general superintendent of 
all the departments, who pleasantly said: “It will 
afford me the greatest pleasure to inform you of our 
methods.” 

“Have the officers any extra remuneration.?” 

“None other than the honors conferred in choosing 
them to the positions of leadership. What more could 
be reasonably desired } The fact of performing a 
necessary use to the community guarantees ample of 
every necessity and luxury, and abundant leisure as 
well, for we work from three to five hours per day, 
according to the necessities of consumption.” 

“A reduction of hours under our competitive system 
to your regulation would be impracticable, and though 
it might afford a temjjorary relief to labor, eventually 
would be of little benefit, for the majority of the toilers, 
living up to their income in the endeavor to surround 
themselves with more refined influences, would soon 
realize that the cost of living would keep pace with the 
cost of production, and that in fact it would be of no 
real advantage to the majority, but would give the self- 
ish hoarders in their own ranks an opportunity to amass 
capital, and be in turn their lords and masters. 


74 


A Strangs Voyage, 

“To describe it plainly, it would be merely putting 
all in a basket or wheel of fortune, giving it a few 
shakes or turns to place some on the top of others, thus 
demonstrating again that the only solution is in the 
non-competitive system, with the entire abolition of the 
use of money and wage slavery. As I stated before, 
there are many who intelligently grasp the situation, 
but they are at the time being disunited and powerless 
to inaugurate the industrial form of government. The 
greatest obstacle to overcome is the selfishness and ig- 
norance of the masses themselves, and for whose eman- 
cipation the abolition of the entire competitive system 
is necessary. 

“Painful as it is to me to admit the weakness of 
those I wduld defend, yet in all honor, as a reformer, I 
am constrained by truth itself, to present them to public 
view, that they may evolve the necessary criticism to 
arouse a desire for their correction. It ill becomes the 
oppressed to decry their oppressors with fierce and un- 
stinted denunciations, while at the same time they are 
practicing a line of conduct in their dealings with each 
other that is far wide of the Golden Rule. 

“Their aspirations must rise above the mere ques- 
tion of wages and hours of labor to a higher plain of 
economic ethics, that will sacredly respect the rights of 
all by making trespass impossible. Pardon me for 
taking up your time with that which concerns our 
planet only.’* 


75 


A Strange Voyage, 

“ I was interested in what you were saying, but al- 
low me to correct the idea that it concerns your planet 
alone. All the planets are but parts of the one great 
universe ; all are united in interests, and affected to a 
perceptible extent by the life that permeates each and 
all.’’ 

Desiring to learn more fully of their economic 
methods, I said: “Now excuse me for abruptly 
changing our conversation again, as I am very anxious 
to learn how your inhabitants are apportioned to the 
various occupations, for I shall be closely questioned 
on that point on my return.” 

“As soon as our children pass a certain grade of in- 
struction generally attained at the sixteenth year, they 
are taught in connection with the regular curriculum 
of studies, the necessary theoretical knowledge con- 
nected with the avocations they have shown an aptitude 
for. On graduating at the close of their eighteenth 
year, they report to and are enrolled in the department 
in v/hich they reside ; from there they are sent to any 
portion of the planet where they can best develope their 
telents and become skilled in their uses. As soon as 
they prove efficient in the uses, they report again to their 
local office ready for active duty.” 

“ Do you have a set period of apprenticeship?” 

“No. It depends altogether on their aptitude to 
learn ; nothing could possibly be gained by such a 
plan, as all are equally benefitted by each other’s labor.” 


76 


A Strange Voyage, 

“Boys and girls with us are set to work in place of 
men and women, because their labor is cheaper, and 
force their elders into idleness and poverty. Do your 
young folks remain unemployed any time after they 
have learned their trade?” 

“No. We are under a thorough system of statistical 
order, in this as in all phases of our government ; from 
the local office of registration, in which they reside, their 
names are reported to the sub-district office of uses, and 
from there they are immediately attached to the indus- 
trial departments for which they have been trained.” 

“Does this system do any injustice, or work harshly 
by drafting the young men or women to great distances 
from their homes?” 

“No. On the contrary, the desire to move to 
strange places is fully equal to the demand, and if they 
so desire, they can find employment in the industrial 
departments of their city or country hamlet. How are 
your young folks provided for after they leave school?” 

“If they are fortunate enough to have wealthy par- 
ents or influential friends, good situations are provided 
for them, but if not, they are thrown upon their own 
resources and gravitate to the various lines of trans- 
portation, the trades, store clerkships and laborious 
uses. The trades exact a long term of apprenticeship, 
at the completion of which the new-fledged workman 
has the bright prospect before hhu of working all his 
days for a bare sufficiency for decent support, and no 


77 


A Stra?ige Voyage. 

matter what his skill may be, he is delegated to a sort of 
j fifth-class grade in the social world. 

“The store clerks commence with a beggarly pit- 
: tance, and very seldom rise to anything higher than a 
i truculent servitude of long hours for meagre pay. The 
I majority of them become mere automatoms, meekly 
: doing the bidding of their employers, and the few that 
i succeed in going into business for themselves are as a 
i rule, proficiently educated to play the role, in turn, of 
I selfish exacting taskmasters to their employees. 

* “None of our industrial classes are certain of em- 
i ployment any length of time ; there is no regular system 
: of order in their employment, but all have the blessed 
■ privilege of choosing their road to dependency and beg- 
! gardom. Oh, the glorious competitive system I How 
i productive of noble individuality! How?” 

“You certainly draw a very gloomy outline of your 
wage system. lam surprised that you can maintain 
i any noble individuality at all.” 

“How do you manage in selecting employees for 
the ocean, river, railroad and telegraph services?” 

“They are recruited from a class of mind who could 
not be content to remain in one place any length of 
time. This is a feature of the order of natural selec- 
, tion. These services have their regular departments 
I throughout the entire planet.” 

“I realize how easily you can control these uses in 
that way, for I am of a roving disposition and am pas- 
sionately fond of the sea and travel, being descended 


78 


A Strange Voyage, 

from a line of sea captains for several generations, and 
having followed a sea-faring life as an avocation for 
several years myself. Do you ever need skilled w^ork- 
men and laborers to go to distant sections from their 
homes in order to maintain a proper balance of uses 
and production ?” 

“Yes, frequently, but there are always plenty of 
volunteers anxious to go ; especially our young men 
who desire to see more of the planet, or make a tem- 
porary change. They are generally required in the 
construction of large works, railroads, harbors, etc. 

“Let me correct an impression I judge you still re- 
tain with reference to laborious uses. Ail work of that 
character is done v/ith improved mechanical devices, 
which require skill to handle, hence training and pro- 
ficiency in their use, consequently they are on the same 
grade as other uses ; we make no foolish caste distinc- 
tions. The irksome labor of the unskilled, compensates 
society equally as much as the work of the most skilled, 
for it is just as necessary. We control all our uses by 
an orderly system of selection, without using objec- 
tionable compulsion. 

“For the first two years (called the probative age), 
beginning at the eighteenth year, all are free to choose 
occupations for themselves, subject of course to their 
grade of scholarship in the professional and educational 
uses. During this period they invariably find the uses 
for which they are best adapted, and under skillful 
instructors soon learn, and cheerfully perform their 


79 


A Strange Voyage, 

allotted service to organized society. Thus all have 
ample opportunity to find congenial employment.*^ 

“Unfortunately our uses are subjected to the fiuctua- 
tions of a fickle and disorderly system, termed ‘supply 
and demand/ which is only a greedy barter of produc- 
tion for selfish individual profit, with stoical indifference 
to the rights of others. The few who control the 
wealth can at any time force millions, who depend upon 
their daily labor for support, into abject destitution.** 

“No wonder you have so much fierce contention 
and crime. How absurd a system that forces pov- 
erty upon its people, when but a few hours labor 
per day of but four per cent, of them, between the ages 
jof eighteen and fifty- two years, can produce more than 
they can consume, not alone substantial, but luxuries 
:as well.* 

‘ “At one time we had almost a similar condition, 
and we made no progress out of it until we discovered 
that the use of money, giving the selfish a power to 
hoard it, and to oppress others thereby, was the sole 
source from which all our economic troubles came. It 
took some time to educate the people to the necessity 
of its abolition, but finally it was done, and our era 
of true progress dates from then. 

“Have you had any teachers of this non-use of 
money system on your planet.?** 

! * Note — This paragraph appeared in my Industrial Ethics in 1874, in 

the St. Louis Mirror ^ a paper published by the Typographical Union. 


80 


A Strange Voyage. 

“None taught its entire disuse that I am aware of, 
but several endeavored to control its pernicious power 
of trespass, and one in particular, Lycurgus, a Grecian, 
came very near it. He made his tribe of Spartans use 
iron, made valueless by tempering it in vinegar, the 
medium of exchange. 

“The tribe kept their money unguarded in the 
market places, and went through the strange ceremony, 
during market hours, of increasing and decreasing each 
others cumbersome piles as their necessities of exchange 
demanded.’’ 

“Then how was it that his system was not followed 
and improved upon by succeeding generations.?” 

“A very pertinent question I admit. The failure 
was not due to imperfections in the money system he 
introduced, but was due to other causes. 

“His administration possessed some admirable 
features, but unfortunately a narrow conception of 
equity dominated Spartan character in their relation 
with other tribes. 

“Lycurgus was a typical Spartan, and to understand ■ 
him is to see and know the people he taught and ruled. \ 
Returning home from a visit to a neighboring state, 
passing through a harvest field with the shocks standing 
in orderly arrangement on every hand, he said: ‘How 
like a band of well kept brothers.’ He thought only of 
the Spartans with this spirit of fraternal love. It was 
but a narrow nativism at best that ruthlessly trampled ^ 
upon others’ rights for self-aggrandizement. | 


81 


A Strange Voyage, 

“The arts of war and pride of physical conquest 
were the leading traits of Spartan character, and to 
which Lycurgus made all else subservient, and he 
strained every effort to develop them into a nation of 
warriors, to conquer and prey upon other states. 

“To be thoroughly informed of their unfitness to 
live a true life of civilization, we need seek no further 
i than to contemplate their treatment of the Helots, a 
: Grecian tribe kept in slavery to perform all their labor- 
ious uses. At a certain period every year they put 
in execution a murderous law called Crypta, and killed 
as many as two thousand of them in a single night, 
fearing their too rapid increase. Do you wonder why 
other nations did not consider the Spartans a fit tribe to 
copy after?’’ 

“I certainly do not.” 

“The same characteristic lust of power is now 
demoralizing every nation on our planet. We are not 
(much in advance of the Spartans, for very few have 
ievoluted beyond the narrow, circumscribed limits of 
Iselfish nativisms, or realize that the only true patriotism 
js fealty to right. Selfish patriotism fetters human 
[progress, and knaves and tyrants thrive by the preju- 
'dices of the masses who have not outgrown their mental 
babyisms. 

“Let me take you back a few centuries further than 
the age of Spartan conquest and despoil, to the palmy 
days of Chaldean wealth and power. We have but a 
meagre knowledge of this nation, mostly acquired 


82 A Strange Voyage. 

by archaeologists during centuries of careful research, 
yet sufficient for our purpose. 

“The Chaldeans excelled in their day, all the other 
nations of the earth, and it is maintained that all the 
advanced sciences, the arts and the polish of the Greeks 
and Romans were copied from them. 

“It has been termed ‘ the pyramidal form of govern- 
ment.’ Let me endeavor to describe it: The apex, the 
king, enthroned above and surrounded by his coun- 
cilors, the hierophants (high priests), who possessed 
great knowledge and imparted only a portion of it to 
the platform below, and so graded step by step down- 
ward the massive structure until the base was reached, 
where the tillers of the soil, the hewers of wood and 
the drawers of water hopelessly followed the avocations 
of their forefathers, bearing in their ignorance and pov- 
erty the crushing burden of the whole vast pyramid above 
them. Perhaps in their fury and revenge against their 
tyrant masters they opened the gates of Babylon for 
Cyrus and his army to enter. Her pomp and regal 
power gone forever! Her exclusive high priests and 
nobles no more I Naught now remains but the little 
knowledge they imparted to the Grecian and Roman 
philosophers, who had wandered there to be taught 
in Chaldeic lore, and the hieroglyphics traced on tablets 
of clay, that have been discovered midst the ruins of 
palaces and temples ’neath Egypt’s desert sands. 
What a lesson in compensatory law! How applicable 
to this age of money, power and caste pretension! ” 


A Strange Voyage, 


83 


CHAPTER V. 

After the lunch the superintendent said: “You 
have interested me so much in the habits of your peo- 
ple, that I would like to continue the subject. Do your 
i people profit much by the lessons of the past.?”* 

I hesitated before answering, for I felt that to reply 
truthfully, added to what I had already said, would 
convey a low estimate of our condition, but realizing 
that I was not on Venus to play the role of a diplo- 
: mate, to gain some undue advantage by the deceptive 
wdles of cunning or a non-commital policy, v/hich never 
has, nor can ever tend to good, I determined to answer 
frankly, trusting to truth to evolve the most good. 

“Seemingly we have not. Even in our republics, 
caste lines are maintained, though without titles of 
; rank, equally as pernicious as in monarchical nations. 

' The great social qualifier is money ; it is the idol wor- 
shiped by all. This, properly, should be termed the 
age of glitter. 

“The flashy itinerant chiropodist may be dubbed 
! with the distinguished designation, Professor^ whilst 
1 the brainy skilled mechanic, whose wages limits him to 
j homespun, is looked upon as a sort of sixteenth-grade- 
chattel, to whose name the daily press rarely prefixes 
the Mr, Money is the all-absorbing theme, and human 


84 


A Strange Voyage, 

rights are as naught when weighed in the balance with 
it. Brave people struggling for freedom against their 
tyrant rulers, are allowed to sufiEer and be crushed by 
nations boasting of their freedom and fidelity to liberty, 
through mercenary motives, withholding from them 
their sympathy and support. 

“This money power has become very arrogant and 
self-assertive of late years. To illustrate, quite recently 
I heard an individual remark : ‘ It is time that Ameri- 

can workmen learn that they must come to the same 
basis of wages and the same style of living as the work- 
men of Europe ; that the manufacturing, mercantile 
and real estate interests of this country must no longer 
be retarded by the constant demands of labor for better 
wages. That it was creating havoc with the business 
interests of all our large cities.’ 

“I asked him if the sole purpose of commerce was 
to build large cities, with gorgeous palaces and great 
wealth for the few and squalid tenements and poverty 
for the many.? He endeavored to clear himself for un- 
wittingly confessing the animus of competitive com- 
merce, but failed and muttered a mumbling excuse in- 
stead. 

“The individual referred to was born and raised in 
a famed y)orkopolis ; his business, a retail storekeeper, 
depending mainly upon workingmen and their families 
for the sale of his goods. Poor narrow-souled vender, 
even too blind to see that the bettering of the working 
classes w'ould increase his sales and profits. No doubt he 


85 


A Strange Voyage, 

had great hopes of some day being a great capitalist, with 
a corresponding power over the natural rights of others. 
He is one of millions on our planet who have no better 
conception of equity. 

“Another convincing proof of the pernicious influ- 
ence of money.” 

“How blinded the perceptions of your people to les- 
sons that surround them everywhere } How deaf to all 
appeals of truth. Place all the gold and silver coin in 
the universe on the most productive soil, and will a 
blade of grass, or any kind of cereal grow, a fruit tree 
bear more prolifically ; the timber of the forest shape 
itself into things of use and beauty, or the minerals 
come forth of,themselves from the earth by any virtue 
of the money by contact.'^ ” 

“Most assuredly not.” 

“Yet you allow it to sway unchecked, its despotic 
power of evil. Without the use of money in any form, 
on our planet, want is unknown, and all enjoy abund- 
ance of the necessities and refinements of life with but 
a few hours labor per day. 

“Are any of your people endeavoring to establish 
a more equitable form of government.?” 

“Yes, great interest has been taken of late in econ- 
omic questions, and the intelligent are fast becoming 
disgusted with the trifling and dishonesty of our vaunted 
statesmen and false political economists. 

“But the greatest impediments to our progress are: 
First, the combined, powerful oppression of capital. 


86 


A Strange Voyage. 

Second, the dread of the strife and discomforts of 
transition. Third, the selfish fear that the inauguration 
of the co-operative principle in government will inter- 
fere with greedy opportunities. In plain language — that 
we will no longer be able to legally rob others to enrich 
ourselves. 

“Yet, on careful reflection, the outlook is not so 
hopeless, for the very conditions created by the competi- 
tive system are the principal means that are tending to 
overthrow it in the very near future. 

“They will be compelled to do from self-protective 
motives, that, which if left to be done by the promptings 
of love of right, or ‘ love of the neighbor,’ would take 
thousands of years to accomplish.’’* 

“Yes, no doubt the rapid encroachments of capital 
will culminate in the next quarter of a century in an 
entire change in your economic affairs.’’ 

“It is to be hoped by that time we will be suffi- 
ciently advanced in moral ethics to realize that a selfish 
stimulus is not necessary to impel us forward and 
upward in all the grand possibilities of human 
endeavor.’’ 

“Have you seen any lack of interest or energy in the 
performance of any use, or a deficiency of skill and 
culture since you have been with us?’’ 

“No, indeed; on the contrary the people of Venus 
excel us in everything I have witnessed since my 


* From an address by the author in 1874. 


87 


A Strange Voyage, 

arrival, and accomplish thrice as much as we do in less 
than one-third the time/* 

“Now let me introduce you to our district repre- 
sentative. Mr. Willgood, Mr. Seekgood ; one of our 
visitors from another planet.** 

“Happy to meet one from so distant a world. I 
presume you find our habits widely different from 
yours .^ ** 

“ Very much ; with the advantage all in your favor. 
Here all seems universal brotherhood, peace and pros- 
perity; but we are divided into national and tribal 
territories with thousands of conflicting interests. Was 
this planet ever divided into nations or tribes.'*** 

“At one time in the distant past we were divided, 
and had many antagonizing national issues, but as we 
developed we gradually established equitable relations 
with each other. Soon international congresses were 
' held to devise a still stronger and more permanent 
i bond of peace, and as a result of their mutual deliber- 
I ations it was resolved to abolish all national distinctions 
and organize all under one great planetary industrial 
government. 

“During the years the congresses of nations were 
in session, and before their unification was effected, 

( many plans were discussed and analyzed, but none of 
f them promised satisfactory results until the non-com- 
S petitive, non-use of money and non-national system was 
j conceived. It was thoroughly examined in all Its 
\ features before its adoption, and as soon as resolved 


88 


A Strange Voyage. 

upon, the congress of nations prepared an effective, 
though very simple code of laws, which were submitted 
to the respective governments for their approval ; then 
acting under the authority of the nations they repre- 
sented, the international congress formally dissolved all 
their respective governments and formed a planetary 
unity. 

“The dissolution of armies and navies followed ; 
costly revenue systems became useless, and the many 
millions of able-bodied men heretofore employed in 
the arts of destruction and in the collection of revenues 
were added to the ranks of the producers.^* 

“I wish we were prepared to inaugurate your sys- 
tem on our planet now, but there are a great many 
questions to consider, and a great many diverse interests 
to reconcile and unite before it can be done. If we 
were to abolish our armies, navies and revenue systems, 
and bring all who are now engaged in them into com- 
petition with those who are struggling for a living under 
the wage system, a condition of enforced idleness and 
poverty would ensue terrible to contemplate.’’ 

“No doubt of it under your competitive system of 
money values ; that is just where the solution of all your 
difficulties lie. From the time that we abolished them 
to the present time we have steadily progressed, and 
our civilization furnishes all with opportunities to exer- 
cise every phase of talent. None need wither here for 
want of incentive or recognition.” 


89 


A Strange Voyage, 

“At times the outlook for our planet seems very 
discouraging, then again there are many evidences that 
the competitive system is summing up its final balance 
sheet. Competitive trade and land robbery will soon 
be things of the past. 

“The fallacy of over-production cannot much longer 
be maintained as an excuse for the more frequently 
increasing periods of enforced idleness, nor the needy 
be content to continue satisfied under a system that 
makes subsistence so precarious. 

The wheels of all our industries are being clogged 
to such an extent by the rapacity of capital and the 
uncertainties of competition, that a general stoppage is 
imminent in the near future, and radical reform measures 
must be inaugurated soon or a terrible era of violence 
will convulse the nations of the earth. None but the 
revengeful and vicious desire such a calamity.” 

“I hope the intelligent people on your planet, 
irrespective of social lines of demarkation, will take 
timely supervision of your economic affairs and avoid a 
physical conflict.” 

“Would to God they would I Perhaps they may, 
for even now they are giving a great deal of attention 
to them.” 

The day’s work was ended — it was noon. The 
manager and workmen retired to the baths and dressing 
rooms, and soon came forth in comely attire. 

Every factory, work-shop and warehouse had 
dressing rooms with a complete outfit attached to them, 


90 


A Strange Voyage. 

and the operatives went to and from their work in best 
of form. Even the most fastidious young ladies could 
have no desire to shun them, 

And smile instead on well-dressed brainless apes, 

But fit to measure calicoes and tapes. 

We were invited to accompany them to the city and 
dine at their hotel. We did so, and they entertained 
us in elegant style. Their superior manners and 
instructive conversation was very entertaining. 

I made some remarks about the extensive knowledge 
so prevalent; my guide said: “We are great readers, 
and have a large variety of books and journals to select 
from. 

“Our authors and journalists are not trammeled by 
sectarian and partisan prejudices, and the coercive 
power of money. Freed from all soul-enslaving influ- 
ences they have illumined our planet with a continuous 
glow of brilliant truths, and apace with them the art of 
printing and illustrating has attained a very high stan- 
dard of excellence. 

“Each city of thirty thousand or more inhabitants 
publishes one or more superbly illustrated magazines. 
They are never disfigured by advertisements ; we have 
no use for them, as the sample stores keep catalogues 
for free distribution, in which can be found a complete 
illustrated list of everything new in all parts of the 
planet. The magazines are all neatly bound in light 
but durable covers. The type is an ingenious system 


91 


A Strange Voyage, 

of sign words, adapted to rapid expression of thought. 
All our children are taught this system as they learn to 
read and write. 

“As we have a great variety of climates, and many 
different social habits peculiar to them, we have an 
endless variety of pleasing news and instructive informa- 
tion in our exchanges. 

“A large number of new scientific and literary works 
are constantly being published, and as all are free, you 
can form an estimate of our superior facilities for 
acquiring knowledge. 

In our literature there is a total absence of every- 
thing that tends to cultivate a false conception of life.” 

“Admirable ! In marked contrast to our injudicious 
practice of holding forth warriors and successful money- 
getters as examples worthy of emulation.” 

“Literature, if corrupted by false or selfish influences, 
makes its injurious effects felt in every ramification 
of society. You will have ample opportunity to inves- 
gate our literature before you leave us. Now if you 
desire we’ll visit the manufactories again. A motor is 
awaiting our use.” 

Off we sped to the suburbs to a very large group of 
buildings arranged in circular form with a lesser circle 
within it. They covered about a thousand acres. The 
offices were in the centre of the circle, and were in 
direct communication with the district and statistical 
bureaus. 


92 


A Strange Voyage. 

Goods, when finished, were stored in large ware- 
houses adjacent to the factories, and connected by a 
complete system of transportation with the other parts 
of the planet. 

Goods were shipped direct from the warehouses to 
the city consumers, per order the local office of the sub- 
district; to the sub-district per order the sub-district 
office ; to the district per order the district bureau ; to 
the section per order the section bureau, and to the entire 
planet per order the grand central bureau of distribu- 
tion, located at the capitol of the planet, through the 
section bureaus outwards to their utmost limits. To 
ensure perfect order, even the order for goods from 
the sample stores or bazaars were forwarded to the 
local sub-district office, and from there were sent to 
warehouses in the form of an official requisition, but 
without delay. I carefully examined all the details of 
the management of this immense manufacturing estab- 
lishment, with the view of inaugurating similar ones on 
this earth. 

Edith asked me if I would like to take an aerial trip 
to a mountain peak a hundred miles distant. We 
boarded the car and soared away with a speed that 
made fast railroad traveling slow in comparison. Just 
fifteen minutes making the trip. 

We landed upon a platform leveled from the solid 
rock of the mountain, by a beautiful dwelling and 
observatory combined, protected north and west by 
solid rock. 


93 


Every part of the building 'was of the most durable 
kind, assuring perfect immunity from the severest 
cyclones. It was occupied by the signal officer, his 
wife and two children, a household assistant and a 
young man under astronomical and signal service 
instruction. 

While they were unloading supplies from the air- 
ship, we were shown the interior of the building, and 
its scientific apparatus thoroughly explained. Among 
its many attractions it contained a spacious conservatory 
under the care of the signal officer’s fair wife. 

I inquired how they managed for fuel.? They led 
me to a door in the rock, back of the building, opened 
it and we entered a vast chamber or store-house 
smoothly cemented. My attention was called to a 
large pile of cylindrical objects about six inches in 
diameter by two feet in length. 

The officer said: “This is our fuel; it is highly 
concentrated and smokeless. Come into the basement 
of the building and I will show you how we use it to 
heat our houses.” 

We followed him in, and he continued : “We place 
one of these in this furnace when the weather is cold 
and it generates sufficient heat for this building for six 
hours. You perceive that the furnace connects with a 
system of pipes that extend throughout the building, 
instead of a direct flue or chimney. This pipe system 
makes a double circuit of every hallway and apartment 
before the outlet is reached, thus forming an economical 


94 A T^ujage, 

heating apparatus and flue combined, giving forth the 
utmost of its heat through the thin pipes instead of 
carrying away in waste the most of it, as it would 
unquestionably do if connected with a straight, direct 
flue. 

“We always have a six months^ supply of fuel and 
substantial food on hand in case of a very severe or 
protracted winter, but we are rarely ever cut off from 
direct personal communication by air-ships longer than 
a month at the extreme limit, but if by accident our 
fuel supply should give out, we have an electric appa- 
ratus to generate heat.’’ 

I inquired if they did not feel lonely at times. 

The lady replied : “Notin the least, for we have 
two days’ vacation every month which we usually spend 
in the city ; and beside, we have two semi-annual vaca- 
tions of one month each, then we take a trip to some 
other part of the planet ; so you see we are amply cared 
for; and just examine our collection of books and 
magazines ; how could we be lonesome with so much 
bright intelligence to interest us?” 

I replied: “I certainly think you are well cared 
for.” 

We bid them good-bye and in fifteen minutes were 
landed in the aerial depot of one of the suburban parks. 
From there we repaired to our hotel, ate an early 
repast, and prepared ourselves for an entertainment to 
be given at the Grand Temple of Art. 


95 


A Strange Voyage. 

The performance began at six o’clock. The pro- 
grammes were gems of art, printed on souvenir silk 
fans ; each one had a beautiful small bouquet of choice 
flowers near the handle, held in place by a silver- 
enameled clasp in the form of a small bow. 

Directly in front of each seat was an ornamental 
stand with a plated top in the form of a tray, and on 
the front a small row of keys. I noticed that suddenly, 
during intermissions in the performance, quite a 
number of the audience had beautiful glasses and small 
dishes of exquisite workmanship and finish containing 
ices, fruit drinks, confections, etc., on theirs, which 
surprised me very much as I had not seen the attendants 
bring them any. 

My fair companion had been watching me ; she 
whispered: “Are you thirsty or hungry.?” 

I replied: “I am anxious to learn how the audience 
secures refreshments so quietly.” 

She said: “What do you prefer?” Pointing to an 
index with button-like keys. 

“Pll allow you to choose for me.” 

She touched three of the keys with a double tap 
and in a few seconds the tray-like centre of the stand 
descended and speedily returned with delicious bever- 
^ages, cakes and confections upon it. 

As soon as we had disposed of them Edith touched 
a signal button and the empty vessels speedily disap- 
peared. The stage was of immense size, thoroughly 
equipped in all its appointments, everything in and 


96 


A Strange Voyage, 

about it was perfectly fire proof. The scenery was of 
flexible metal sheets, worked by ingenious mechanism, 
and susceptible of very rapid changes. 

There were fifty performers in all, perfect in their 
parts; they afforded us great enjoyment. The musi- 
cians took a part as actors in the play during the per- 
formance, and when solos were being played, but were 
invariably out of sight while playing accompaniments 
to singers. 

At the conclusion of the entertainment, we walked 
leisurely to the hotel ; after bidding Edith good night, 
I crossed the street to the pleasant quarters assigned 
me, retired, and soon fell asleep. I arose at sunrise, 
dressed neatly, called for my guide and had a pleasant 
walk with her on the fine promenade skirting the harbor. 
The view was magnificent, and the sea breeze delightful. 

Quite a number of persons were out enjoying the 
refreshing morning air ; many of them engaged in con- 
versation with us. The society of the people was ex- 
tremely pleasant; I realized that I was undergoing a 
refining process by even contact with them. 

Is there anything in life so delightful, so soul satis- 
fying as the company of the truly loved t Then all the 
higher qualities of the mind seem to be electrified with 
fuller vigor by each others presence and blend in perfect 
cord with a tender solicitous desire to administer to the 
highest happiness of one another, without a selfish jeal- 
ous thought to cast a shadow ; such is pure love, for it 
raises us out of and above our baser selfhoods. Such 


97 


A Strange Voyage, 

was my feeling towards this divinely fair and gifted maid, 
and the hours were rosy tinted with every sense of en- 
joyment intensified. I realized by her confiding man- 
ner and the magnetic thrill of her touch that I did not 
love alone. 

What need for awkward words to love confess, 

That looks and acts bespeak with greater stress I 

We returned to the hotel and joined a large company 
at the breakfast table. After the meal we took seats 
on the spacious balcony, and while we were enjoying 
a pleasant conversation, sweet strains of music and an 
unusual stir atti'acted our attention to the street. 

Edith said: “It is a wedding procession; if you 
desire, we’ll witness the ceremony. The bride and 
groom walked beneath a richly embroidered white silk 
canopy fringed with gold and silver, carried by taste- 
fully attired youths. Twelve bride’s maids and the 
same number of grooms walked in pairs by their side, 
holding the silken cords of the canopy. They were 
preceded and followed by several hundred young 
ladies, dressed in white and pink, each wearing a wreath 
of flowers on the head, and bright sashes embroidered 
with gold and aluminum across the shoulder, male at- 
tendants walked on each side of them, carrying banners 
and wreaths on poles and frames of various designs, 
which formed bowers of artificial shade. On the out- 
side of the young men there was a row of smaller girls, 
each one carrying a banner, and on the extreme outside 


98 


A Strange Voyage, 

boys in single file with flags, which they waved at in- 
tervals in perfect time with the music. 

We followed them about two miles and entered a 
park, in the center of which stood the magnificent Tem- 
ple of Hymen. It was built of pure white marble, richly 
adorned with graceful cupolas and towers, and a 
spacious colonnade extending all around the lower part, 
added to the symmetrical beauty of its outline. The pro- 
cession passed up through the central aisle to a beau- 
tifully decorated platform in the clearest view of all. 

As soon as they had taken their positions the wed- 
ding march ceased, and the choir sang a beautiful wed- 
ding ode ; at its conclusion an elderly lady and gentle- 
man led the bride and groom to the front of the stage 
and bid them join hands. A light net, wrought of gold 
and aluminum lace, adorned with precious stones, was 
thrown over them, making them appear as if covered 
with an ethereal mist. Their names were called aloud 
for all to hear, and after a few questions and responses, 
they were pronounced mated, and thus addressed: 

“ Love, like a pure and crystal stream, 

With even glide unceasing flows 
’Mid fertile banks, with beauteous gleam, 

Reflecting all its good bestows.” 

They were led to mimic thrones, embossed with 
pearls and glittering gems, and the young folks marched 
around them singing: 

” Man’s understanding, woman’s will 
United life’s great laws fulfill. 

Divinest power— great source of life — 

Now blend as one this man and wife,” 


99 


A Strange Voyage, 

They were pelted with flowers and bon-bons, until 
literally walled in with them. 

A young lady and gentleman advanced to the throne 
and invited the newly wedded pair to mingle with the 
world, to share its joys and sorrows in lasting love and 
sympathy. The net was removed and they were led 
beneath the canopy again, and the procession filed out 
through the grand entrance into the park, the spectators 
greeted them with good wishes, and showered their 
path with flowers as they passed. VVe were invited to 
the wedding dinner and ball, but had to be excused, 
as my guide had made previous engagements for us. 

We entered one of the park restaurants and were 
speedily served with a good dinner; the conversation 
very naturally tending to the interesting event we had 
just witnessed. 

I thought it a good opportunity to learn more about 
the important subject of mating, and asked her to in- 
form me. 

She said: “The laws governing the relations of 
the sexes are developed to an absolute science, and so 
intelligently understood by both sexes as to make it al- 
most impossible for any to mismate. This is princi- 
pally due to spiritual development, and also the entire 
absence of mercenary motives, thus leaving our females 
free to follow their infallible higher instincts in making 
choice of partners. All self-poised females have the 
subtle power to attract to them those who are their prop- 
er mates; it is an absolute law of life, and when com- 


100 


A Strange Voyage. 

plied with disagreements and divorces are impossible.’^ 

“ Infinitely better than our unscientific methods of 
mating ; too frequently ending in sensational divorces 
and wrecked lives, corrupting public morals and con- 
veying the infiuence that statutory absurdities are of 
greater importance than the moral and physiological 
welfare of humanity. Our social structure is reared on 
a selfish, sensual foundation.” 

“Our moter is awaiting us,” she said. 

We took our seats and had a delightful ride. Not an 
unpleasant scene to depress the mind, or offend the 
most fastidious taste ; every surrounding evinced the 
sBsthetic culture of the people. 

We halted before a massive, highly sculptured 
building. Edith said: “This is the newspaper and 
publishing establishment.” 

We had scarcely time to alight before a pleasant 
bevy of ladies and gentlemen were at the sides of our 
vehicle to welcome us. 

The building covered a surface of several thousand 
feet. Its external and internal decorations were appro- 
priately designed in harmony with the higher functions 
performed there. 

Edith asked: “How does this compare with your 
newspaper establishments ? ” 

“We have many beautiful buildings, but none as 
large or as fine as this.” 

“I am curious to learn how they are conducted.” 


101 


A Strange Voyage. 

“I will present as truthful an outline as possible and 
you can draw your own conclusions. 

“The undeveloped masses have a constant craving 
for something highly sensational, corresponding to 
their vitiated tastes and habits. Their money is the 
objective point; news venders and authors generally 
need it, and the papers and books that fail to supply 
the foul or shallow mental pap that suits the masses, 
could not be successful business investments. So it 
will not be likely to surprise you to learn that while 
pages are devoted to base ball games, racing, rowing, 
polo, prize fighting, divorce scandals, society flatteries, 
etc., but a very small space is given to subjects of real 
reform, for when they get on that line they are ventur- 
ing on the boundary of financial ruin. So diversified 
are the sectarian prejudices that influence the great 
mass of humanity, that the newspapers seldom dare to 
even reprove bigotry for fear of decreasing their circu- 
lation.’’ 

“Surely the editors must be anxious to put them- 
selves on a better record than that.” 

“Undoubtedly they are, but unfortunately the busi- 
ness end is the power that dictates the policy of the 
press, and its mandates must be obeyed. However, 
this pecuniary censorship is relaxed at times and more 
substantial brain food is offered for public digestion 
and assimulation.” 

“Who are the main contributors outside of the 
general staff of the papers?” 


102 


A Stra7tge Voyage, 

“Romance and descriptive writers, humorists who 
do not thrust their keen-pointed shafts at capitalistic 
interests, politicians and also successful business men, 
who write by request. 

“What is to be the outcome of this financial control 
of the avenues of public thought is perplexing indeed, 
but still I am hopeful, for even now there are strong 
indications of a radical change in newspaper manage- 
ment, and the character of our literature generally, in 
the near future. Then those that are the most fearless 
in the advocacy of reforms will be the most popular, 
the reverse of what it now is. I would like to know 
how your editors and writers are selected?’’ 

“Our friend, the managing editor, will cheerfully 
impart all the information you desire. He is in the 
next room, let us go in. I’ll introduce you. Mr. Fair- 
view, Mr. Seekgood, a visitor from another planet. 
With your permission I’ll leave him in your charge for 
awhile as I wish to read a few articles by some new 
authors, so please excuse me.’’ 

“We may spare a little of the bright sunshine for a 
time, especially when surrounded by so many attrac- 
tions, but remember that even the hardiest plants 
cannot thrive long in shadow.” 

“You are tinting the rest of the company in rather 
somber hues.” 

She bowed and retired. I sat down in the chief 
editor’s sanctum, and the following conversation 
occurred. 


103 


A Strange Voyage. 

“Our staff in this, as in all other newspaper estab- 
lishments on our planet, is composed of males and 
females. None of us had any special training in 
journalism before we entered the offices to work. It is 
deemed best to keep this use free from all influences 
that tend to hamper the expression of the most original 
radical thought. We select them from those who prove 
their fitness for the work.” Selecting a piece from a 
journal: “Here is an article that has attracted wide- 
spread interest for its marked ability. It was written 
by a young man employed on a ditching machine. He 
never had any experience before as a writer. In all 
probability if he had been selected and trained whilst 
at school for this work in particular he would have 
been narrowed, and might never have developed the 
talent that perfect freedom from set rule has manifested 
so markedly in his case, for egotism might have spoiled 
it. He will be a welcome contributor from now on, 
and has been tendered an editorship of a department 
by the bureau of literature. 

“Here is a beautiful poem that is entrancing, show- 
ing marvelous observation and depth of thought, so 
rich in poetic imagery and delicacy of noble sentiment 
that it is ranked as one of the masterpieces of modern 
literature. It was written by a young woman engaged 
in a laundry, and it has crowned her with laurels. 
She graduated from school without manifesting any 
interest in or ability for literature, and cheerfully took 


104 A Strange Voyage, 

a position in an ordinary use. She also has been 
tendered a position on the newspaper staff. 

“Our literary departments are frequently contributed 
to by workers in the factories and other uses, and some 
of them are excellent.” 

“I see you devote a large space to literary review.” 

“Yes, we give it the utmost attention, and endeavor 
to be strictly just in our criticisms. How is this feature 
of journalism managed on your planet.?” 

“Occasionally this function is performed by master 
minds who have evoluted beyond the ordinary mass of 
humanity, and from this class of intellect only need we 
look for an impartial treatment of the live issues of the 
day. We have an abundance of would-be critics, who 
are capable of discernimg grammatical errors, or 
awkwardness of construction in composition, and who 
can cr\\\c\sQ fairly from a one-sided standpoint, that is 
from sectarian or social environment bias ; they are 
strictly honest and endeavor to be strictly just, and 
must not be judged too harshly for not being able to 
see beyond the scope of a limited vision ; besides we 
have a large number of literary censors who rigidly 
adhere to the measure of selfish and sectarian interests.” 

He remarked: “Not very conducive to progress.” 

I was shown through every department. My guide 
returned, we bid the courteous chief and his assistants 
good-bye, and, in company with a few friends of Edith, 
had a pleasant ride. 


105 


A Strange Voyage, 

In the evening we attended the grand opera and 
heard several of the finest singers on the planet. 

The house had a seating capacity of thirty thousand ; 
every seat was occupied. The display of so much 
beauty, and the endless variety of beautiful toilets 
together with the exceptional fine singing and acting, 
was extremely exhilarating and instructive. I could 
not help contrasting it with similar entertainments, 
though of less magnitude, on our planet. 

All was without price there. None were barred 
either by lack of money or social caste from the fullest 
advantages that could be derived from an advanced 
civilization. 

Here all is procured by purchase, preferment or 
social caste. The vast majority barred from enjoying 
even a modicum of the benefits from the wonderful 
progress we have made in the arts and higher educa- 
tion. Money, the insurmountable barrier, blocks every 
pathway of our progress. 

I retired at eleven and arose early next day intent on 
gaining all possible knowledge of the city and its peo- 
ple. Soon after sunrise we boarded a motor yacht and 
had a pleasant trip about the picturesque harbor. Is 
there any recreation so delightful to the average tourist 
as a sail or row about a fine sea-port, more especially 
when the scenery is foreign, and the habits of the 
people widely different from those we have been accus- 
tomed to associate with? Not even the ceaseless 
annoyance and cupidity of boatmen and venders, who 


106 


A Strange Voyage^ 

are ever on the alert to assist in decreasing the contents 
of your purse, can mar its novelty and pleasure. But 
how much more enjoyable when you are an honored 
guest, welcomed and feted by everybody, and relieved 
of all annoyance of costs and importunities of selfish 
profit-seekers. 

All the commanding positions in and outside of the 
entrance to the harbor, usually occupied with fortifica- 
tions on our planet, were adorned with parks and pleas- 
ure resorts. 

Whilst gazing on the beautiful scenery, and thinking 
about the wise uses made of everything by them, my 
mind recalled the criminal waste of human energy and 
material in the maintenance of our armies and navies 
and costly coast and frontier defenses. How much 
longer will the nations through a mistaken sense of pa- 
triotism, abjectly seiwe the dynasties that enslave them } 

We returned to shore, refreshed by the sea breeze, 
and breakfasted, then took the train and inspected the 
dock harbor, a splendid specimen of advanced engin- 
eering skill. It was constructed of massive blocks of 
granite, with slips to suit the various styles of vessels. 
All the ships were supplied with metallic cradles, worked 
by improved hydraulic power, capable of lifting a ves- 
sel out of the water, for examination or repairs, in a few 
minutes. The divisions between the slips formed con- 
venient docks for unloading and loading freight. 

Another important improvement to our dock system, 
was the monthly cleaning of the docks, by entirely 


107 


A Strange Voyage,, 

draining them of water. Where the fall of the tide was 
not sufficient to effect it the docks were built above 
high tide level, and were filled from mountain streams 
or by pumping water into them. Even the docks were 
used as a pleasure resort, for most people like to view 
the vessels. 

On the outer sides was an elevated broad promenade, 
arched over nearly its entire length with an ornamental 
framework of non-corroding metal, supporting bright 
awnings, which could be rolled up into receptacles dur- 
ing stormy weather, and there were several permanent 
shelters as well for the convenience of persons caught 
out in the rain. It was a much frequented resort, as it 
afforded a close view of all that transpired in the har- 
bor, and the enjoyment of the four immense bathing 
houses, two on each side of the harbor, one for males 
and the other for females. They were in the form of a 
semi- circle, covered with adjustable skylights which ad- 
mitted abundance of light to all parts ; at night they 
were illuminated until eleven. There were small ponds 
of various depths for children, in charge of swimming 
teachers, and one immense pond for the adults. The 
temperature of the water was regulated to suit the 
bathers. 

Under their wise administration of mutual good as 
soon as they conceived anything necessary for their hap- 
piness, they at once applied skill and labor to nature^s 
abundant material to fill the want ; wisely unrestricted 
by any unjust system that could result in a lack of 


108 


A Strange Voyage, 

power to purchase, or allow individual possession of 
the natural resources, as now obtains all over our planet. 
What a travesty on common sense ! A farcical sem- 
blance of order. Leaving the interesting place, we 
were conducted to an aerial transportation depot and 
took a flying trip to an island one hundred and fifty 
miles from the mainland. The car of the flying ma- 
chine was as water proof as a boat, and somewhat sim- 
ilar to one in shape, and could be propelled through the 
water by its own motor power if necessary. They 
never neglected precautions of safety. 

The island was five miles in length by three in 
width, and was in garden-like order; its inhabitants 
were engaged in fishing industries. All of their boats 
were supplied with motor power. They were remark- 
ably intelligent and well educated, equaling in refine- 
ment the citizens of the cities we had visited. Truly 
they dignified labor. 

We enjoyed our brief visit among them, and would 
have liked to remain longer, but time forbade it. We 
boarded our car and in fifteen minutes alighted on the 
platform on top of our hotel, just in time for dinner. 
Soon after dinner we bid our new friends farewell, 
went on shipboard, and in half an hour passed through 
the beautiful dock gates and under the ornamental 
bridge which spanned it, between two symmetrical light 
towers. The official barge kept us company to the en- 
trance of the harbor, their band discoursing sweet music 
to cheer our departure. 


A Strange Voyage^ 


109 


CHAPTER VI. 

Soon after we entered the grand cabin, Edith intro- 
duced me to a lady of very prepossessing appearance, 
who gave us an outline of the prevailing religious belief 
of the people of Venus. The following is a brief syn- 
opsis of her remarks : 

“Our religion is reverence of a Supreme Creative, 
Governing Power, and a practical application of equity 
in our dealings with each other. Our relation to this 
power is as a child’s relation to its parents, for it is a 
part of the order of the economy of nature, that those 
who look up to, and aspire to attain to ideals above 
them are correspondingly more highly developed, hence 
the value of spiritual ideals. 

“The great all supreme power of life is love, and 
the greater our capacity to receive it the more rapid our 
development. It is the fountain source of all progress. 
If you carefully scan the history of your planet’s peo- 
ple, the clearer you W'ill realize that all its advancement 
can be traced alone to this one great source, and all its 
failures to ignorance of its inevitable mandates. 

“Though tyrants by revolution fall, and nations dis- 
appear or undergo great change, the good which may 
follow is not due to revengeful revolt, but instead to the 
opportunity which changes afford truth to enter the 


110 A Strange Voyage, 

minds of the masses, while sluggish minds are quick- 
ened by the excitement and energy of civil strife, and 
temporarily distracted from their superstitious environ- 
ments. No conscientious philosopher or obsei*vant 
student of history will admit that good will result from 
violence ; for violence is the matrix that nurtures into a 
new birth a succession of like or greater evils, changes 
history by placing the down trodden serf in the ruling 
seat of his master, to out-Herod him in every phase of 
tyranny. The moral forces evolved alone determine 
the extent of human progress, and they who possess 
them in greatest degree are fitted to lead, though serfs 
they may be now.” 

“I fully agree with you, for we have incontestable 
proofs of it in the history of our planet, as far back as 
we have any record to the present time. One nation in 
particular, fully demonstrated it within this century, for 
their great clamor for liberty and equality, during the 
periods of revolutionary strife and revenge, cooled and 
disappeared almost as soon as the earth lapped up the 
life-blood of the guillotine’s last victims, and the little 
good that did survive, can clearly be traced to those 
who were impelled by unselfish love.” 

“I am pleased to know that some on your planet 
seem to recognize the controlling force of all harmonious 
life. 

“But to resume the subject of religion again. We 
are, according to our receptive conditions, centripetal 
centres into which higher intelligences descend, and we 


Ill 


A Strange Voyage, 

are in proportion also the centrifugal mediums radiating 
them to lesser intelligences. 

“We see this beautifully illustrated in the vegetable 
as well as the animal kingdom of nature. Flowers are 
the physical expression of the higher and beautiful and 
weeds the unpleasant figuration of the lower conditions 
of life. Both types nourished by the same sun, but 
each receiving and reflecting according to its quality. 
Our thoughts and acts prepare us either to receive or 
reject the divine spirit of love, and are our soul builders 
for good or evil. Thus we make our heavens or hells 
both in this life and the hereafter. Have you a similar 
belief?’’ 

“Yes, it was taught in the last century by Emanuel 
Swedenborg, but the world, with the exception of a 
few individuals, was not prepared to receive its truth. 
He was looked upon as a partially demented visionary, 
though he was the recognized leading scientist of the 
age. 

“Such seems to have been the treatment of all who 
dared to enunciate truths, no matter how beneficial, if 
their tendency was to disprove the religious absurdities 
prevailing. 

“Even our learned scientists are too apt to decry as 
humbug all they fail to physically demonstrate in their 
laboratories. We have made great progress during the 
last half century, but still it is not an uncommon sight 
to see the vast majority, who are still in superstitious 


112 


A Strange Voyage. 

ignorance, looking upon those who have evoluted 
above them, as poor deluded fools to be pitied.” 

“A sad and a ridiculous sight combined. It is 
scarcely credible that they can so persistently build 
barriers between themselves and Divine Truth. 

“Let me further illustrate our spiritual ethics. 
Knowing that we compensate for every violation of 
moral and physical laws we endeavor to obey them. 
Guided by knowledge and intuition we endeavor to 
live our highest sense of duty. We strive not to be 
confirmed in any form of dogma, for the wisest have 
not, even with the farthest research, had but a glimpse 
of the first letter of nature^s alphabet.” 

“You are in advance of us in spiritual as well as 
material ethics. We have several hundred religious 
beliefs, the adherents of each one claiming to be right, 
and usually paying more attention to the external 
observances of them, than their application to the rule 
of life. To contemplate it philosophically, it would 
appear that in direct ratio to our lack of spiritual 
progress we fondle foolish idols, as children fondle 
their fantastically dressed dolls.” 

“I would be pleased to know more about them.” 

“I will willingly impart any information of interest 
of which I have a knowledge, but as I intend to faith- 
fully record this voyage and present it to the people of 
our planet for perusal on my return, you must allow me 
to handle it very tenderly, or some may take offense 
and close their minds in prejudice, and prevent me 


113 


A Strange Voyage, 

I from presenting to them the economic truths I learn 
: during my brief sojourn on your planet. 

I “The majority of religious sects agree upon many 
I vital points, and differ ,in various degrees upon all 
others. They all believe in the immortality of the soul 
and in after rewards and punishments. Others claim 
fellowship with various schools of philosophy, but like 
the sectarians, maintain a belief in a continued existence, 
claiming to have undisputable evidences of a future 
state. They present beautiful pictures of life beyond 
the river and the beatitudes of progressive soul life.* 
Yet, strange as it may seem, they are not conspicuous 
for their zeal in advocating and helping forward the 
great economic measures of the age, particularly if they 
entail a sacrifice, or even a jeopardizing of their dollars 
and cents. 

“Probably they have become so etherealized that 
they are above taking cognizance of the every day 
affairs of our mundane sphere. Judging by the many 
of them who have endeavored to reap a pecuniary 
harvest by working on the credulity of others, they are 
not entirely free from the selfish proclivities of this life. 

“Still others have placed themselves upon a higher 
pedestal of spiritual pretension, and they claim to 
have culled from the ripe knowledge of ancient lore 
a religion embracing the whole ‘Arcana* of nature. 
Their knowledge is carefully guarded and entrusted 
only to disciplined leaders or teachers. Much knowl- 


♦ Note. — In an address delivered in Chicago in 1873. 


114 


A Strange Voyage. 

edge may be in their keeping, but have they unlocked 
all of the gateways of nature’s treasured secrets? Will 
the ever progressing, developing universe stand still at 
their bidding? ‘By their fruit ye shall know them.’ 
This rule when applied to their case, as with nearly all 
others, brings to light many glaring inconsistencies, 
and proves conclusively the absurdity of attempting 
to fence up the universe within the narrow limits of 
an ism by any pretended set of keepers. 

“Truth is as limitless as the infinity of time, and 
free for all to appropriate according to their assimula- 
ting power. It is not in the order of nature for any 
self-imposed keepers to dole it out with an arbitrary 
dictum to others.” 

“Pardon me for inquiring your individual views on 
spiritual matters?” 

“I have no settled belief, but have formed some 
opinions. For over a quarter of a century I have 
thought, as it is possible to progress to higher conditions 
of spirituality by cultivating the desire of good, and 
eliminating all tendency to evil in our lives, so also it 
is possible for us to retrograde until all power of reten- 
tion of spiritual individuality or conscious identity ceases ; 
in proof of which we have but to refer to the immoral and 
vicious, and the unfortunate inmates of our prisons and 
lunatic asylums. I cannot conceive of a worse hell 
than to be thus spiritually obliterated ; a resolving back 
of an individualized soul to a non-conscious particle of 
the great central body of spiritual forces. 


115 


A Strange Voyage. 

“I endeavor not to war against any form of belief 
professed by others, but walk among them as I would 
amidst the flowers in a garden, admiring them accord- 
ing to the wealth of beauty each reflects back as a trib- 
ute to the genial sunshine which nourishes them with 
its life-giving power. 

*‘We had a teacher who embodied in his philosophy, 
to a fuller extent than others, all that is conducive to 
human happiness and progress, but since his day, ab- 
surd doctrinal creeds have been added to what he 
taught, until the essence of true religion — equity and 
love — have almost been lost sight of. He rebuked the 
Pharisees by shielding and elevating the Magdalene. 
His example is all sufficient religion for our guidance, 
for in his teachings he left the soul free to reach up- 
ward, step by step, to enlarged knowledge and freedom. 
The doctrine of the ‘Golden Rule’ is all sufficient to re- 
strain us from evil.” 

“Then it is very strange that his professed followers 
should depart so wide from his teachings ; but on mo- 
mentary reflection, it is not surprising, for under a com- 
petitive form of government it is almost impossible for 
even religion to be uncontaminated by selfish influences.” 

“You are right. The love of pomp and power rules 
the church as well as the individual, and through their 
systematic efforts they have, literally, almost shaped 
the mentality of the great mass of the ignorant multi- 
tude. Trained to follow in a groove of their priesthood’s 
making, they have became incapable of logical analysis, 


116 A Strange Voyage, 

and of bleared moral perceptions ; taking issue with 
everything new, no matter how truthful and necessary 
to human progress — that conflicts with the religious 
teachings that have so insiduously educated them into, 
and that retains them in spiritual blindness and mental 
degradation. In plain language, religion has become 
an art, to be promulgated for the material benefit in 
particular of its several organized bodies of teachers. 
Thus the ministry, like all other phases of our competi- 
tive system, simply bends to the corrupting fiat of 
money for sustenance. We can tell almost to a cer- 
tainty the particular religion individuals belong to, 
without their mentioning it, by the stereotyped argu- 
ments they have so cunningly been educated in, to 
fence with.’* 

“I am pleased to know that even a few can rise 
above their educational prejudices in the interest of truth. 
Now excuse me for the present.’* 

With a graceful courtesy she left me to join the 
others. The remainder of the evening was pleasantly 
occupied in conversation, and vocal and instrumental 
music by talented artists, who were on a professional 
tour of the planet. 

When called, shortly after daybreak, land was in 
sight. We soon entered an extensive, finely sheltered 
harbor, and lo! a tropic scene in all its gorgeous wealth 
of fruit and foliage. There is an irresistable charm 
about warm climates to those who come from colder 
latitudes ; the scenery is so widely different, that it has 


117 


A Strange Voyage, 

a charming novelty to the admirers of the beautiful in 
nature. Art had embelished the landscape and harbor 
views with fine villas and extensive parks, dotted with 
bright colored pavilions near the shore and on the is- 
lands. The many fine vessels at anchor in the harbor ; 
the spotless white and pink colored buildings, with 
gilded cupolas and minarets of the city, upon which the 
golden sunlight played in gorgeous revel, and beauti- 
fully mirrored them in the water, and the air laden with 
fragrance of fruit and flowers, made a scene delightful 
to contemplate. 

We were saluted by a lavish display of flags on the 
shipping and buildings, and in response, our vessel was 
soon decked from stem to stern with gay-colored bunting. 
Graceful row-boats and swift sailing and motor yachts, 
richly carved and tastefully painted in bright colors, 
their decks shaded with rich silk awnings, trimmed with 
bright metal fringe, were moving about, making it as gay 
as a carnival. Quite a number of them formed in line 
on each side of our vessel to escort us through the harbor. 

It was the generous reception of a people who 
delighted to administer to the comfort of others. In 
marked contrast to the flattery and servile fawning 
where favors are expected in return, or the enthusiastic 
tumult in honor of some prominent personage, fanned 
into a flame by a few expectant henchmen; gaudy 
parades, gotten up for the seeming purpose to give a 
favored few the opportunity to display their gaudy 
plumage. 


118 


A Strange Voyage. 

They had nothing to expect from us, for the other 
representatives, like myself, were without titles, dis- 
tinction or wealth, and heretofore had to be content to 
accept the back seats accorded us. 

We landed and were taken in motor carriages to 
the Central Hotel. After breakfast we held a recep- 
tion. This was a pleasing feature of etiquette observed 
everywhere, giving the citizens an opportunity to form 
the acquaintance of strangers. 

The city was built in the form of a crescent, 
conforming to one side of the harbor. Its promenade 
walk was covered with adjustable awnings of bright 
durable colors, which could be safely rolled up into 
water proof receptacles at night and on the approach of 
a storm. The esplanade was lavishly adorned with 
flowers, statuary, fountains and very ornate electric 
light fixtures. 

There were three refreshment pavilions, one at the 
centre and one at each side of the entrance to the 
harbor ; these and the numerous commodious seats at 
short distances from each other made the promenade a 
pleasant resort in the morning and evening to enjoy 
pleasant social intercourse and the invigorating sea 
breezes. 

On our planet the same space would be monopolized 
by ungainly wharves and buildings, and a combination 
of traffic, disorder and filth. 

It was a fruit and spice district, and the citizens 
were chiefly engaged in sorting and packing the 


119 


A Strange Voyage. 

product for shipment to the other parts of the planet, 
and receiving and distributing the productions of other 
parts to their district. All the work was done several 
miles from the city, directly back of the shipping 
whaiwes which were on the opposite side of the harbor 
from the city. 

All out-door uses were performed between 7 and 
10 a. m., and in-door occupations from 7 to 11 a. m. 
The remainder of their time was at their own disposal, 
yet there was no dissipation. During the few hours 
they worked each day, throughout the district, they 
produced more than sufficient for all demands of other 
sections and home consumption. They cheerfully per- 
formed their labor for others, knowing that others were 
as cheerfully working for them. They were highly 
educated, and all the social amenities were punctiliously 
observed. 

Life was not the least monotonous, for we were 
informed that all on the planet performing a necessary 
use, had a month’s vacation twice a year, with an 
allotted mileage of transportation, and if not used at 
the time, it was placed to their credit and added to other 
vacations, so that, if desirable, they could take an 
extended trip or a complete tour of the planet every few 
years. A pleasure enjoyed only by the few on our 
planet, and principally by those who are squandering 
wealth acquired by despoiling others of the fruit of 
their labor, by the trickeries and usurpations of the 
competitive system. 


120 A Strange Voyage, 

All the conveniences of life were provided for them 
while traveling. Those who were beyond the age for 
active service, invalids and young children of parents 
entitled to a vacation, also enjoyed the same privilege. 

There was no restraint upon the movements of 
invalids, who could go when and where they pleased at 
all times in search of agreeable climates. Infinitely 
better than the fettered condition of the great mass on 
our planet, whose pay is so meagre, that very few are 
able to visit even a sick or dying relative, if living a 
great distance from them, though facilities of transpor- 
tation are abundant, and could be doubled if necessary 
without draining the market of forced idlers. Another 
striking proof of the inconsistency of the use and 
tyranny of money. 

Oh, this vaunted competitive age! How replete 
with glaring falsity ! Oh, this marvelous evidence of 
systematic practicability^ that arrays every man’s 
interest against his neighbor’s, gives more than 
abundance to some, and forces others into poverty and 
degradation I 

Shame ! In our greed, to selfish strife as prone 
As hungry dogs contending for a bone, 

Throughout the ages reached no higher plain. 

Than grudging others good, for selfish gain. 


The motors halted in front of an extensive aerial 
depot. Edith said; ‘‘Would you like another flying 
trip.?” 


A Strange Voyage. 121 

I replied: “Not if it is to leave you and your 
planet/* 

She smiled and said: “I mean a much shorter 
journey. They have planned a flying excursion for 
you and the rest of the planetary representatives, to a 
mountain resort about three hundred miles distant, and 
fifteen thousand feet above the sea, where we can enjoy 
a cool temperature during the warmest part of the day. 
This is the depot; shall we accompany them.?** 

“Yes, I shall enjoy it very much.** 

We entered ; several aerial ships were awaiting our 
coming. Before starting the ladies donned wraps and 
the gentlemen overcoats, which had been thoughtfully 
provided for us. 

All aboard ! Off we flew ! All the air-ships keep- 
ing in sight as if racing. The rapid velocity made it 
impossible to open a window or door on the front and 
sides ; the ventilation, nevertheless, was perfect. We 
made the passage in forty minutes. 

After we alighted, Edith said: “See how the 
mountain tops glisten in the sun.** 

They were heavily capped with snow. I followed 
her into the hotel, which covered nearly ten acres, and 
was surprised to see that several thousand of the city 
people were there enjoying the delightful temperature. 

Edith said: “We are to remain here for several 
hours, and they have prepared a banquet and an enter- 
tainment for us. It lacks an hour of dinner time ; 
would you like to walk around the terrace?** 


122 


A Strange Voyage. 

“Yes, with pleasure/’ It was fifty feet broad and 
extended entirely around the hotel. Several broad stairs 
led to a lower and much longer terrace in front, and 
also to several fine roads which gradually wound down 
the mountain ; smaller paths led from the upper terrace 
to the mountain back of the hotel. A large number 
of motor power tricycles were at hand, for the conven- 
ience of those who desired to use them. 

Beautiful plants in ornamental vases, on wheels, 
were plentifully grouped about the hotel corriders and 
the terraces. 

My guide said: “They are always put in the nur- 
series at night, as light frosts are quite frequent at that 
time.” 

A musical peal of bells notified us that dinner would 
soon be ready, so we repaired to the hotel to arrange 
our toilets. Everything desirable in clothing was at 
our disposal. I chose a neat dress suit, donned it, and 
entered the parlor, 

Edith soon made her appearance, beautifully at- 
tired, radiant as a goddess. She took my arm and we 
entered the grand dining hall. It was beautiful, be- 
yond my power of description, and so marvelous that 
such an elegant place should be so lavishly maintained 
on the mountain side. A fine band, hidden from sight^ 
discoursed delightful soft airs during the meal. 

The dinner was a sumptuous spread of culinary art. 
The tables were shaped to conform to large circles with 
seats on one side only, facing towards the centre, thus 


123 


A Strange Voyage, 

affording the guests an opportunity to see one another 
in each set, forming a circle. Spaces were left for the 
waiters to pass through. In the middle of each circle, 
and partially hidden by the flowers, were several sets of 
dumb waiters connecting directly with the pantries, 
and through them with the kitchens. The guests were 
all served from in front. 

The display of flowers, growing in highly sculptured 
vases, was exquisite, and lent an additional charm to 
the novelty of the dining room’s appointments. Ap- 
propriate toasts were offered and responded to, but 
fermented drinks were not used, and sparkling wit and 
repartee rippled from guest to guest around the circular 
feast board. 

The banquet occupied an hour and a half. A short 
inteiwal followed, then we were ushered to an immense 
ball room and joined in the exhilarating, health pro- 
moting dance until half-past five in the evening. We 
retired to the dressing room, changed our attire and 
returned to the city. 

On reaching the hotel Edith invited me to the draw- 
ing room, remarking: “After such a feast as we have 
participated in, perhaps you would like to rest or read 
awhile 

I noticed that as our acquaintance ripened, she man- 
ifested at times an apparent desire to share my company 
apart from others, yet it was so delicately expressed, 
that she did not even approach the outward limits of 
maidenly modesty. Possibly by my constant desire to 


124 A Strange Voyage. 

have her near me, I may have influenced her to some 
extent. 

She had anticipated my desire, so I said: “Yes, a 
little quiet would be very agreeable, particularly so if 
you remain with me.” 

“I will if you desire it,” she pleasantly replied. 

We selected books and seated ourselves in a cozy 
alcove, did little reading, but enjoyed instead, a pleasant 
conversation, a delightful blend of thought, for three 
hours. We adjourned to the restaurant, partook of re- 
freshments and mingled with the guests until eleven. 
My guide bid me a tender good-night and retired with 
a lady companion. 

I arose early next day, dressed myself in a neat light 
suit and went out on the extensive balcony facing the 
harbor ; the view was unobstructed and beautiful. 

Edith soon made her appearance and greeted me 
with such a welcome look of pleasure, holding out 
both her hands to clasp mine, that all doubts were set 
at rest as to a mutual attachment ; sincerity was de- 
picted in every look and action — prudery was impos- 
sible to her nature. Oh, the delight of that meeting! 
The exquisite thrill of that tender hand clasping! 

Thy gentle grace fair woman-kind, 

Acme of all in life refined. 

How many a life might have been encouraged and 
led upwards, had but this womanly gift been more 
liberally lent to refine and temper the coarser nature of 


A Strange los 

man. How many a home might have been a paradise 
instead of a hell. 

She who neglects to cultivate this power, fails to at- 
tain the perfect fullness of her being. Woman can, not 
only enjoy perfect equality with man in all the affairs 
of life — her unquestionable right — but greater still, she 
can, by means of her gentle grace, be his prompter too 
in all that ennobles existence. We walked about for 
half an hour, then joined a goodly company at the table, 
interspersing the meal with cheerful conversation. 

Breakfast ended, Edith said: “They have planned 
a visit to the coffee and spice plantations this morning. 
Will it be agreeable to you.?” 

“ Most assuredly.” 

“Then let us go before it is too warm, for remem- 
ber we are very near the tropics.” 

The swift motors soon took us there. All en- 
gaged in out-door work wore light adjustable sun 
shields, attached to the shoulders by an ingenious 
frame work. Both sexes wore a lighter kind during 
out-door leisure, attached to a perforated band, which 
fitted neatly on the head. Both kinds were very 
light, and could be placed at any angle to protect the 
face, neck and shoulders of the wearer from the sun. 

I called my guide’s attention to the large number of 
people engaged in agricultural pursuits. She said: 
“Yes, our people love the occupation. We have made 
farming and gardening very agreeable. Ample labor 
enables us to do the work at seasonable times, and 


19 fi ^ range Voyage, 

without hurry in a few hours per day. implements 

are the best that ingenuity can devise.” 

“Admirable management. Your machinery is not 
kept out of reach by patent protection and exorbitant 
prices, thus limiting the benefits of ingenuity as we do 
on our planet; still another proof of the absurdity of 
the competitive system.” 

The buildings were surrounded with wide concrete 
pavements, with the exception of the spaces devoted to 
flowers; cross roads and paths of the same material in- 
tersected the fields and orchards, and substantially built 
conduit sluices connected with immense reservoirs, inter- 
sected all the tilled land. 

We had paused in our conversation to watch them 
flood a rice field, then Edith continued: “A large 
proportion of our people are more desirous to go to the 
country than to remain in the cities. How is that with 
your people V' 

“Generally the reverse, for farming is very slavish ; 
the work commences at sunrise, and too frequently con- 
tinues after sunset. Do you wonder then, that inces- 
sant drudgery and lack of opportunities for culture, and 
the long continued solitude and monotonous toil should 
create a dislike for agricultural pursuits?” 

“ I do not. What a serious mistake your people 
make in the management of uses. Now we must bid 
these people farewell, as our motors are awaiting us 
for the return trip.” 


127 


A Strange Voyage. 

We soon reached the city, spent a few minutes in 
attending to our toilet; then entered a dining hall of 
delightful temperature, cooled by chemicals, a system 
much in use. The afternoon was spent in a very leis- 
urely way, for directly after dinner we repaired to a 
broad balcony on the top of the building, and enjoyed 
a delightful siesta^ reclining in perfectly shaded silk 
hammocks, the sea breeze gently fanning us as we re- 
posed. We remained there until half-past three, then 
went to the baths. The people took two regular baths 
a day, and some of them even three and four; in the 
colder latitudes, one or two according to the tempera- 
ture. They were very healthy and good looking, free 
from wrinkles and deformity of outline to their seven- 
tieth and eightieth years. 

I had not noticed a sign of decayed teeth in the most 
aged, and none wore spectacles. I called Edith’s at- 
tention to it. She remarked: “Oh, that is nothing un- 
usual with us, remember we have been paying particu- 
lar attention to sanitary laws for many thousand years.” 

“ Have you no dentists } ” 

“ None making the care of the teeth a special occu- 
pation, but the medical profession make it a part of 
their studies, and are amply able to care for all dental 
accidents. There is no reason why we should not re- 
tain our teeth intact, any more than any other part of 
the bony structure of our system.” 

After the evening repast we attended a performance 
at the Garden Theatre. The entertainment com- 


128 


A Strange Voyage. 

menced at seven, and continued, with the exception of 
half an hour for refreshments, until ten. 

The seats were admirably arranged so as not to in- 
terfere with the display of flowers and small plants. 

The beautiful assemblage of people beaming with 
enjoyment, the exquisite ornamentation, the brilliant 
colored electric lights, and the large elaborately decor- 
ated stage made an interesting picture. 

Edith said: “The drama is especially necessary in 
the training of our children, for the tender mind of 
youth is very impressible to the influence of object les- 
sons, and the fine stage scenery and excellent acting 
afford the amplest means to depict and encourage all 
that is ennobling in life, and also present most vividly 
the most scathing satires of every form of evil. 

“How is the drama controlled on your planet?’’ 

“Usually for purposes of amusement only; too fre- 
quently it is made a medium to pamper to vitiated 
tastes.” 

“That would not be allowed on our planet.” 

“Our theatres are under individual control, and 
are considered like other business ventures ; therefore 
the management is more concerned about the profits 
accruing in a money or property form than the educa- 
tional and moral advantages to be derived from it.” 

“Why do not your educators take it under their su- 
pervision and eliminate all its objectionable features?” 

“It is certainly their prerogative, and assuredly 
would tend to an increased interest in the dramatic art, 


129 


A Strange Voyage. 

and a decided advantage to the profession and the gen- 
eral public; for very soon under such a control, all the 
absurd twaddle that is now palmed off on the public 
from the stage would be replaced with an intellectual 
menu/* 

“Our actors are to a great extent our educators, and 
are held in great esteem, and we strive to be very im- 
partial. We apportion the stirring interest of the plays 
into as many parts as possible, and never allow the 
great attraction to centre in one actor ; thus we encour- 
age all to attain to the greatest excellence, and give no 
cause for enviousness.’* 

On reaching the hotel, we seated ourselves on one 
of the spacious balconies, where many of the guests 
were seated. The conversation turned to our planet ; 
I was questioned very pertinently about the habits of 
our people, and was, in all truth, bound to admit, that 
our whole system of civic and social government tended 
to selfishness, deceit and crime. 

Money and property accumulation are the great 
incentives to which all other aspirations seem secondary 
with the majority. Even those who have not the fore- 
thought and intelligence to accumulate a competency 
desire to do so, and many of them, if they could, would 
be ten times worse than those they decry as monopo- 
lists and money tyrants. 

I have taken this view of the economic question for 
over thirty years, and have always made it a point, 
when addressing others, both with the tongue and pen, 


130 


A Strange Voyage, 

to emphasize that the real progress of the govern- 
ments of nations keeps pace in direct ratio with the 
moral developement of the majority of the people and 
cannot crystallize one step in advance of it, although a 
small minority may be far in advance of them ; there- 
fore, reform agitation should not be a war against 
individuals, but a contention for principles ; or in plainer 
language it is unreasonable ~to condemn others for 
doing that which we would do if we had the oppor- 
tunity. 

They did not comment much on what I said ; just 
sufficient to intimate that we were practicing a very 
illogical code of ethics. The chime bells tolled the 
hour of eleven ; we wished each other good-night and 
retired. 

My room was elegant in all its appointments. In 
the centre was a pond with aquatic plants and a foun- 
tain, which, together with the fresh sea breeze, imparted 
a pleasant influence to the temperature of the room. 

Next morning I took a refreshing bath and donned 
a dark gray silk suit, which had been placed at my 
disposal. The page, in waiting, handed me a refresh- 
ing fruit drink, and a note from my guide, stating that 
she would meet me on the esplanade. 

When I arrived there many had already come out 
to enjoy the pleasant morning air. Boats of graceful 
form and elegant finish were sailing and rowing about 
in every direction, and together with the many motor 
yachts and large vessels made a very animated scene. 


131 


A Strange Voyage, 

Whilst contemplating the exceeding beauty of the 
surroundings and reflecting on the abundant evidence 
of their superior civilization, I was saddened with the 
thought, though nature is equally lavish with her 
resources on our planet, owing to our inordinate selfish- 
ness, we prevent them from being applied to our 
mutual good. 

Edith had read my thoughts. She said : “You must 
take a more hopeful view of the future of your planet ; 
great changes follow awakened thought. Reforms 
may occur in a few years, which would have taken 
many centuries to accomplish in the past. The rapid 
advances in the sciences and the wonderful inventions 
that are bringing a temporary discomfort to your wage- 
workers, on account of throwing many out of employ- 
ment, will in the very near future prove the principal 
means of wage emancipation. You may yet live to see 
the competitive system entirely abolished.** 

“I hope I may.** 

“ There is going to be a rowing match and a sail 
race. See, they are about to start the rowers.** 

The signal was given, and six eight-oared sculls, 
painted in as many different colors, started. Edith 
knew the different clubs, hence took equal interest in 
them with the rest of the spectators. The fine rowing 
and fairness of the contest attracted my attention. 
The sailing contest revived the old love of boating as 
in my early youth, with all its pleasant memories. 


132 


A Strange Voyage, 

We had been there two hours and enjoyed it very 
much. The sun was beginning to feel uncomfortably 
warm, so we repaired to the hotel for breakfast. 

The meal was very lavish. I asked Edith how 
they managed to maintain so much luxury? 

She replied; “We have become so expert in the 
management of production and distribution, that the 
cost of the most luxurious meal is only equivalent to 
the time of labor consumed in its production.’’ 

“How do you provide against the contingencies of 
bad crops?’’ 

“We keep enough extra in store for a year; besides 
failure of crops seldom, if ever, occur simultaneously in 
many places at the same time. In latitudes subject to 
drouth we produce rainfalls by combining chemicals 
with the atmosphere, so there is little to apprehend 
from dry seasons.” 

“I have not seen any animal food in use here.” 

“None is used. We consider it injurious to mind 
and body, but we subsist on fruit, vegetables, cereals 
and dairy products.” 

“It is claimed on our planet that animal food is 
necessary, and that those who live on a strictly vege- 
table and fruit diet are not as healthy as those who eat 
meat.” 

“That is certainly an illusion, though it may seem 
the reverse for many reasons. First, you have become 
so accustomed to it, that its disuse must necessarily 
produce many unsatisfied cravings. The second gener- 


183 


A Strange Voyage. 

ation would not experience any discomfort from its 
disuse, but would develope into a more perfect physical 
state, and certainly a higher morality, for the use of 
meat increases the animal desires at the corresponding 
loss of spirituality. 

“Another all-sufficient reason is, that you fail to 
replace it with the proper substitutes in the vegetable 
kingdom, for they exist, as the fine cattle I saw on your 
planet proves beyond a doubt, for they subsist entirely 
on vegetable matter.” 

“Your position is certainly logical. I have not the 
least doubt that all our savage propensities are attribu- 
table to its .use, and most of our diseases as well.” 

“They certainly are. We make a chemical analy- 
sis of every form of matter, so as to properly under- 
stand their use ; and to all articles of food we pay 
especial attention, therefore through the digestive and 
assimulative process we can supply any of the parts of 
the body at v/ill, and to this knowledge especially we 
owe our almost complete freedom from disease and 
decay before the ninetieth year. 

“We have discovered many things, which perhaps 
are unknown on your planet.” 

She was approached by a venerable looking repre- 
sentative from Jupiter, who spoke with her for a few 
seconds. 

She continued : “We are invited to the session of 
the astronomers, composed of a great many distin- 


184 A Strange Voyage, 

guished ones, both from the other planets and ours. 
Will you go 

“ With the greatest pleasure.’’ 

As the assembly building was in the centre of the 
square opposite the hotel, it took but a few minutes to 
get there. 

The temporary chairman was elected presiding 
officer. He thanked them for the honor, then 
addressed them as follows: 

“Ladies and gentlemen : The object of this meeting, 
and our presence here from this and other planets, is to 
concur with each other as to the best methods of estab- 
lishing regular communication by means of signals 
from one planet to another. 

“You are all aware of the wonderful compound 
magnifying lenses lately constructed, which can discern 
even small objects on distant planets. 

“As we have met in convention before and partially 
agreed upon a plan, we have but little to do other than 
to present it in this assembly, as it has been determined 
to do in all the other parts of your planet, for approval, 
then to be sent to your central planetary government 
for final ratification. 

“I take pleasure in introducing to you Mr. Search- 
far, representative from Jupiter, who will explain the 
proposed plan.” 

Mr. Searchfar advanced, bowed gracefully and 
spoke as follows ; 


135 


A Strange Voyage. 

“Ladies and gentlemen : But a few years ago to 
have hinted at the possibility of such a wonderful 
advancement and triumph in telescopy would have 
caused the author to be treated as hopelessly insane. 
The truth of the axiom that ‘marvels never cease* has 
been fully demonstrated in the rapid advances of 
astronomical appliances, which now place the people 
of one planet literally on the threshold of all others. 
Suns, which but recently were considered masses of 
molten fire and partially cooled lava, are now 
positively known to be habitable globes, teeming with 
active, intelligent human beings. But to the subject 
strictly under consideration at the time being. 

“The plan proposed is to have large platforms of 
some very light color, constructed on several parts of 
each planet, and to furnish them with large movable 
signals or sign language, which is already determined 
on, so if our action meets with the approval of your 
grand central assembly, we will go back to our respec- 
tive planets fully prepared to intelligently communicate 
with each other.** 

He stepped to the rear part of the platform and 
displayed several large drawings, explaining the 
proposed platforms and signal symbols. 

Many others spoke briefly of the progress of astron- 
omy, and related many amusing incidents of the crude 
knowledge and erroneous popular ideas which formerly 
prevailed on their respective planets. 


136 


A Strange Voyage. 

The proceedings were unusually interesting and 
instructive. Asocial reception followed, to give the 
citizens an opportunity to make the acquaintance of the 
visiting scientists. It was an enjoyable and instructive 
event. 

After dinner we were escorted on shipboard, bidden 
a kind farewell, and we departed from their lovely 
clime. 


A Strange Voyage, 


137 


CHAPTER VIL 

It would be difficult to find more pleasing company 
than we had on the passage. It seemed as if the balmy 
influence of the climate had impressed all on board, 
awakening all the genial qualities of the soul to an ex- 
pression as generous as the gorgeous wealth of foliage 
nourished in its warmth. 

We were bound for the principal seat of govern- 
ment. The passage would almost complete our circuit 
of the planet. 

Our first stopping place was one of a group of large 
fertile islands, the inhabitants of which were engaged 
in cultivating nuts and fruit in great variety. They 
produced several delicious species unknown to our 
planet, the result of scientific grafting. 

The harbor was spacious, though not presenting 
the variety of active scenes as the other ports we had 
visited, yet was not dull in any sense, for there were 
several fine vessels there and numerous boats, and the 
natural beauty and repose of a large portion of the 
shore surrounding the harbor, made the scenery more 
fascinating to me. I love to commune, in quiet, with 
nature. 

Vessels made regular trips there from all the prin- 
cipal parts of the planet, and aerial motors were daily 
coming and going. 


138 


A Strange Voyage. 

All lines of transportation, on sea, through the air 
and on land, were under the direct control of the 
branch departments of the central distributing bureau, 
located at the capitol of the planet ; therefore, syndicate 
or individual control of them for pecuniary profit never 
interfered with the orderly handling of production. 

We remained there the greater portion of the day 
and took on board a large assortment of fruit and nuts 
for the central capitol. 

Under the pleasant guidance of a young lady 
islander, we were shown many of the interesting 
features of the island. There, as elsewhere away from 
the cities, the buildings were grouped in hamlets, one 
to each division of land seven miles square, and as near 
the centre of each division as possible to be convenient 
to the main roads. AW of them on the hotel plan. 

The school rooms, library, gymnasium, music con- 
servatory, art rooms, manual training school, and the 
lecture and theatre hall were combined in one large 
building. Hence they had every opportunity to culti- 
vate local talent and exchange with those of other 
localities occasionally. 

The traveling professionals also included the towns 
of the islands in their yearly tour, and the inhabitants 
enjoyed all the advantages of social refinement, culture 
and amusements equally as well as the larger cities, 
thus rural life was relieved of its greatest objections, 
solitude and want of intelligent diversion from monoto- 
nous routine. 


139 


A Strange Voyage. 

The islanders were noble looking, regular featured, 
well proportioned and graceful, and their dress very 
artistic in form and coloring. They were intelligent, 
amiable and courteous. 

There were several hamlets on the island, all 
connected with the pretty town in the harbor by tele- 
graph, telephone and motor lines. We made a speedy 
visit to them in comfortable motors. 

I was surprised to witness so much refinement, and 
such perfect management of all their industries, without 
the least evidence of hurry. 

We dined at the hotel the furthest removed from the 
city and received the same generous hospitality as in 
the other places we had been. 

The buildings were elegantly .furnished, and the 
most pleasant feature was the ample space devoted to 
the amusement of both adults and children. The 
children’s play-room was two hundred feet in length, 
and was equipped with a variety of things for their 
amusement and instruction. A miniature motor line, 
thoroughly guarded, made a complete circuit of the 
room. 

Each of the hamlets contained a gymnasium, library 
and seyeral rooms containing games somewhat similar 
to our billiards, etc. We made a flying visit to several 
other hamlets, as we returned on another well-kept 
concrete road. 

It was four o’clock when we reached the city. We 
had an hour to spare before embarking, and made a 


140 


A Strange Voyage, 

good use of the time in instructive intercourse with the 
people. The signal for starting called us on board, 
and soon we were wending on our rapid ocean journey. 
The evening was spent in pleasant social amusement 
until half-past nine. 

Edith said: “ I must bid you good-night. If you 
desire a feast of fine scenery, it will be advisable for 
you to retire to rest soon, for quite early to-morrow we 
will enter the most beautiful archipelago on the planet.’’ 

As I was very anxious to learn and see all I possibly 
could of this wonderful planet and its inhabitants, I 
repaired to my stateroom and retired so as to be up 
early. 

All the passengers v/ere on deck at dawn. The 
weather was delightful (it was a temperate zone), and 
we were abreast of an island ; the sun’s rays beginning 
to tint the cliffs and hill tops. Its full developed 
splendor had scarcely greeted the new day, before we 
entered a magnificent harbor; the principal ship build- 
ing place on the planet. There were several hundred 
vessels in course of construction. There was a large 
fleet at anchor, and some moored to the docks. The 
city was four miles from the ship yards. It was a busy 
and charming scene. 

A pretty yacht came alongside and the harbor 
master and his assistants tendered us a cordial welcome. 

As we were to remain there several hours, we 
accepted the invitation of a master of construction to 
visit the ship-yards before breakfast. The mechanical 


141 


A Strange Voyage. 

appliances for lightening labor were numerous and very 
ingenious. As it was an imperative rule all over the 
planet to assign persons to the uses for which they were 
the best adapted, there was no clashing of interests, 
nor envious jealousies, but instead a perfect obedience 
and order without arbitrary discipline and compulsion. 

While we were examining the fine models and 
drawings in the office, the superintendent said : “Our 
inventors and experts receive prizes, in the form of 
medals and enrollment on the scroll of honor. How 
are yours rewarded? 

“But few derive fair compensation for their ingenuity ; 
usually they are forced by circumstances to part with 
their inventions to capitalists for little or next to noth- 
ing, or are swindled out of them altogether. Patents of 
great value are usually controlled by syndicates, who 
reap the advantage instead of the inventors and the 
public.” 

“Have there been any plans proposed to reward in- 
ventors and secure the benefits of their skill to all?” 

“Yes, one in particular; I heard an individual pro- 
pose the following: Have all inventions carefully ex- 
amined by competent commissioners, who shall have 
authority to assess their value and purchase them di- 
rectly from the inventors, thus making them the pro- 
perty of the government, to be of free use to the people ; 
the cost to be collected in general taxes.” 

“As good a plan as could be devised whilst your 
competitive system is in vogue.” 


142 


A Strange Voyage, 

I was intensely interested in their plan of building 
their vessels into eight water-tight compartments, any 
two of which were capable of keeping the vessel from 
sinking. Perfect ventilation was secured in all- the 
compartments by a system of blow pipes, connected 
with the engines. 

The superintendent said: “We have another ad- 
mirable provision for the safety of the crews and pas- 
sengers.” Going to a closet he took out two nicely 
shaped vests, one for a male, the other for a female. 
“These are lined with cork, so adjusted as to be perfectly 
pliable and comfortable to the wearers. They are well 
perforated and allow a free passage of air around the 
person, and are capable of sustaining the head and 
shoulders above the water. 

“Every vessel keeps a plentiful supply, and each per- 
son on board wears one of them day and night when 
at sea.” 

Edith, who had been absent for some time, returned 
and said: “A committee of reception is present to 
escort us to the city. They requested me to ask you 
which you prefer, a boat or a motor ride.” 

I replied : “A boat b}^ all means if just as convenient 
to them.” 

We thanked the superintendent for his courtesy, and 
under the guidance of the committee were led to several 
beautiful boats in which our party was rowed to the 
city. A nice repast had been prepared for us, which 
we fully appreciated, as it was quite a late hour for 


143 


A Strange Voyage. 

breakfast. After the reception, we were invited to a 
ride to view the city. We found it an extremely inter- 
esting place. It was the seat of nautical education as 
well as ship building, and the numerous academies, 
surrounded by artificial lakes and pretty parks, were 
attractive features. 

Each school, according to its grade, had a perfect 
working vessel, small in size, an object lesson in the 
lake surrounding it, and a larger one in the harbor, in 
which the students took occasional voyages. As there 
were twelve graded schools you can form an idea of the 
picturesque scenes, and the great advantages enjoyed 
by the scholars, who were thus made perfectly familiar 
with the mode of construction of every kind of boat and 
vessel, and thoroughly drilled in every branch of sea- 
menship. Several of the classes were exercised in our 
presence, and were wonderfully proficient. 

Edith thanked and dismissed our escort and motor 
carriage. She said : “It is ten o’clock, would you like 
to visit a few families in their private apartments in 
the hotels before dinner?” 

“It will afford me much pleasure,” I replied. 

In every apartment artistic and ingenious embel- 
lishments testified to their industry and refinement. 
Some excelled in literature, others in musical composi- 
tion and the many sciences and arts, and the evidences 
of their knowledge and skill was proof of the good use 
made of their abundant leisure ; none of them were 
tempted by places of gilded debauchery, profit-making 


144 A Strange Voyage, 

haunts of vice, outgrowths of the competitive scramble 
for money. 

Every suit of apartments had a musical instrument 
played by an electric motor, and those who made music 
a profession, had instruments something like our pianos 
as well. Two of the ladies played and sang for us, 
and though I lacked in musical education, I realized 
that their composers did not class the mere dexterous 
manipulation of the phalanges in executing rapid and 
correct time as the acme of professional attainment, 
and as music too classical for uncultured ears to ap- 
preciate. On our planet, snobbery has invaded the 
delightful realms of music as well as all other profes- 
sional domains. 

The majority of the masses, who are without a mus- 
ical education, readily recognize and appreciate the 
beauties of the great masters^ compositions, and will 
sit enraptured for hours listening to their rendition, nor 
do they need to be told about their superior merit. 

Bah ! On the absurd pretense that claims as class- 
ical, a jumble of rapid notes that grate on the tympanum 
like saw filing, this lack of harmonious rhythm makes 
audiences feel desirous of fleeing from places where 
they are played. The entire absence of caste affecta- 
tion was very noticeable, yet there was an elegance and 
dignity of demeanor that commanded admiration, for 
it bore the stamp of true gentility, the culture of the 
soul instead of an external covering of flimsy tinsel. 


145 


A Strange Voyage, 

I could not help contrasting them with those who 
presuming on their social positions, attained by wealth, 
hold themselves above and apart from the refined 
industrial classes, but are of such a questionable 
moral make-up themselves, that they do not scruple to 
clandestinely appropriate the fruit of the labor of those 
they contemptuously consider their inferiors. What a 
sorry sight all such will make when divested of the 
false plumage of this life, and arrayed in the spiritual 
garments corresponding to their soul conditions in the 
future state. The men and women of higher attain- 
ments need neither titles nor blatant heralds to single 
them out for public recognition and respect. 

The two hours were replete with pleasant interest. 
Soon after dinner, we bid them adieu, went on 
board our vessel and sped away for our main port of 
destination, the capitol of Venus. 

Our course lay through a much frequented passage 
way. The vessels going and coming from the capitol 
taking opposite sides of the islands. This afforded us an 
exceedingly fine view of all styles of marine structure, 
and together with the beautiful buildings on the islands, 
the endless variety of charming landscapes and the 
company of my sweet guide, made it delightful. We 
were almost constantly together ; I could sit contentedly 
for hours and watch the play of emotions on her intel- 
ligent face as she conversed on various topics and 
described the unsurpassed scenery and habits of other 
portions of the planet we had not visited on our voyage. 


146 


A Strange Voyage, 

I was kept in a state of joyous wonderment, for as | 
the voyage progressed, the many admirable features of ' 
their superior civilization were more plainly visible, 
and naught intruded to mar the interest and enjoyment 
of them. Life seemed turned into a paradise, yet at 
times I would feel a depth of sadness that was unac- 
countable. Perhaps it was the marvelous superiority 
of my surroundings to the ill conditions that had beset 
my path on our earth ; for through every weary way, I 
had ever longed for the association of the good and 
surroundings of the beautiful. I could not help think- 
ing how many millions more, like myself, had hungered 
in vain for that which by nature’s law of evolution they 
were entitled to enjoy. I dreaded the return to earth 
to be again fettered in the pinching want and strife 
of the competitive system. The damnable product of 
selfishness. Who can truthfully deny it. 

It was four o’clock in the evening when we entered 
the great central harbor of Venus. The scene that 
met our gaze was beyond the power of language to 
express. Imagine a vast harbor several miles in extent, 
possessing every natural advantage, its beauty enhanced 
tenfold by evidences of the most aesthetic taste ; then 
add to it a beautiful city on one side of it with archi- 
tecture and arrangement surpassing a poet’s dream. 
On the opposite side, massive docks of picturesque 
construction, and in their rear immense orderly 
arranged warehouses. At different places in the 
harbor ornamental metal pavilions, securely built from 


147 


A Strange Voyage, 

their rock foundations to their uppermost stories, added a 
novel and elegant feature to the scene. Motor yachts, 
row and sail boats plied to and from them and the 
shore, and to the numerous pretty islands in the harbor, 
some of which were graced with beautiful buildings 
with cupolas and tall minarets, rivaling the prettiest 
mosques in architectural symmetry. We had been 
pleasantly surprised everywhere with novelties and 
scenery of surpassing beauty, but the central harbor of 
Venus excelled them all. 

We had been sighted by the signal corps on the 
islands in the archipelago and the news of our coming 
made known to the citizens long before we entered. 
As soon as we passed through the outer entrance the 
grand official barge came alongside and we were 
welcomed and presented with the freedom of the city. 
They requested us to accompany them to the landing. 
We did so, and our fine vessel, which had been the 
source of so much pleasure and comfort to us, majes- 
tically moved to the docks. 


148 


A Strange Voyage, 


CHAPTER VIII. 

On landing we were conducted to a palatial hotel a 
short distance from the water. We were graciously 
received and shown to elegant apartments, where 
toilet conveniences and elegant apparel were placed at 
our disposal. I had received so much of this generous, 
courteous attention during my brief sojourn on their 
planet, that I was getting accustomed to it and almost 
ceased to be any longer surprised, but not a wit the less 
pleased and grateful. 

A bright young page announced the banquet, and 
led me to the door of my guldens apartment ; she was 
just issuing from it, arrayed in a most attractive 
costume. Realizing at a glance that she was antici- 
pating my coming with evident pleasure, I offered my 
arm and escorted her to the feast. Never shall I forget 
how tenderly she inclined her fair form to mine, and 
the unmistakable language of sincerity and affection 
manifested even in the pose of the form. 

She said: “We semi-annually receive the represen- 
tatives of the sections of the planet with a series of 
festivals. This is the beginning of them, and you and 
the visitors from other planets are to be the honored 
guests of the occasion.’* 

I felt somewhat embarrassed, for, like the vast 
majority on our planet, it had always been my especial 


149 


A Strange Voyage. 

privilege to contemplate festivals of great importance 
from outside the walls, or in imagination from a distance. 
Edith noticed it and restored me to my equilibrium by 
quietly stating that she would safely pilot me through 
the ordeal. 

We were conducted to a table directly in the centre 
of the immense hall. The floral decorations were very 
tasteful. Beautiful feathered songsters had been 
admitted to large cages on the four sides of the hall, 
from the extensive avaries adjoining the hotel ; their 
trilling was delightful. Several fine fountains sprayed 
perfume in several parts of the room, and a fine band, 
hidden from our view, discoursed at intervals the most 
delightful music. 

My guide faithfully fulfilled her promise, and I felt 
perfectly at ease in the company of those who embodied 
the very highest order of intelligence and good breed- 
ing. There was an entire absence of the peacock-like 
attributes so common to nearly all the dignitaries of 
our planet. It was pleasing to witness the courteous 
intimacy of the guests with the gentlemanly young men 
waiting on the table, who frequently participated in the 
conversation during the meal, yet there was no lack of 
etiquette, but it differed from our mannerisms in the 
measure that it was the spontaneous outgrowth of an 
equitable regard for the rights and feelings of each 
other. It set my mind actively at work revolving many 
social problems, particularly domestic help. The 
number of mysterious entrances to houses and burgla- 


150 A Strange Voyage, 

l ies that have been traced to the connivance of servants. 
The question came vividly to the front, ‘ would it not 
tend to attract to these duties in life a much higher 
grade of morality and intelligence, if the nonsensical 
lines of demarkation were abolished entirely, and the 
domestics treated more like human beings, or even as 
members of the family.?* I have tried this in my own 
family, and when due care was taken in selecting them 
there never was any cause to regret it. I do not contend 
that it would be entirely practical at once, but it would 
inevitably tend that way, and in a very few years 
instead of having our children surrounded with an 
ignorant, selfish set, who know no higher law than self, 
we would have an intelligent, trustworthy, well-bred 
class of domestic assistants in our homes. 

After the banquet we retired early. I arose the 
next morning at daybreak. Edith soon made her ap- 
pearance, radiant as ever, and accompanied me in a 
walk on the harbor esplanade. 

Though so irresistably attracted to each other, not a 
word had been uttered by me in the form of a declara- 
tion. The consciousness of our mutual attachment was 
all sufficient. She allowed me to hold her hand in 
mine during the walk, and when resting on a com- 
fortable seat, commanding a fine view of the harbor, I 
still retained it. There was a strong breeze blowing at 
the time, and to shield her somewhat from its unruly 
liberties, I drew her closer to me, her fair head nestled 
on my shoulder in sweet content. Remember, I called 


151 


A Stra7tge Voyage. 

attention before to their custom of an open expression 
of affection at all times. Many others, seated near us 
and walking about, were equally, if not more, demon- 
strative than we were. It was not an amorous toying, 
but a deep and holy love, that knew no tiring, eternal 
as life itself. The man’s devoted protecting shield ; 
the woman’s abiding love and trust. We remained 
there over an hour, then returned to the hotel. 

After breakfast we began our inspection of the 
famous Centre of Equity, for I was extremely anxious 
to learn how they managed their extensive planetary 
interests in such an expeditious and orderly manner. 

I, like the majority on our planet, had been taught 
to believe that it was impossible to hold civilized forms 
of government together without the maintenance of 
strong lines of caste demarkation. That such was the 
great cohesive will-power of organized society, and the 
main safe-guard against the license of the less devel- 
oped, and the violence of the criminal classes. There 
caste lines were entirely absent, and their civilization was 
unassailable, held together by the attractive power of 
equity. Injustice, poverty, violence or crime did not 
exist anywhere on their planet. 

The city was admirably laid out, none of the 
streets were less than two hundred feet in width, and 
divided into sections composed of twenty blocks each. 
Each block consisted of eight ornate buildings in 
symmetrical and uniform proportion, two of them 
forming a side of a square. The style of each block 


152 


A Strange Voyage, 

varied considerably, so there v^^as no sameness. In the 
centre of each block was an ornate two storied building 
which contained a nursery, juvenile gymnasium, laun- 
dry and the heating and cooking apparatus for the 
entire square. It was surrounded by lovely gardens, 
and was connected with each of the buildings in the 
square by covered walks. 

There was a dining hall in each of the eight build- 
ings, and private eating rooms as well for those who 
desired them. The occupants enjoyed all the conven- 
iences of hotel or private* life with very little labor. 

The cooks and other domestics were on duty six 
hours out of the twenty-four, divided into three watches, 
and their occupations were not considered the least 
menial. 

There was a fine park between each section, which 
contained the schools and places of amusement, and 
also the offices for the orderly management and supply 
of the needs of each city section. 

As it was the centre of government it necessarily 
was the largest place on the planet. As a rule for 
health and other economical reasons they avoided 
crowding into large cities. 

The system of sewerage was perfect. All the refuse 
food and vegetable matter was burned in furnaces con- 
structed for that purpose, and connected with the engine 
house of each block. The drainage from vaults, fac- 
tories, etc., was conducted through perfectly constructed 
conduits, which were sluiced morning and evening with 


153 


A Strange Voyage, 

disinfectants from the water works, by a special system 
of pipes. The city gutters were of non-corroding 
metal, perfectly jointed to the streets and curb stones. 
As the streets were all finished with durable concrete 
there was no seepage. In the middle of each block 
and at each crossing there were metal water plugs, 
their tops ornamented with statuary, an admirable 
feature of adornment to the cities. The streets were 
sluiced at night ; as there were no animals in the cities, 
you can form a fair estimate of their cleanly condition. 
The street sewers were entirely separate from the 
building drainage, hence no offensive smells greeted 
the olfactories at the street corners, nor poisons polluted 
the rivers, lakes and harbors. The streets were kept 
in the most orderly condition. 

All supplies were delivered in the morning to all 
parts of the city, direct from the warehouses, per order 
the evening before. The buildings were directly con- 
nected with a branch of the motor railway system, and 
delivery of every class of goods was effected with 
the greatest dispatch and without unnecessary handling. 

Goods on Venus never spoiled in store through the 
power of money withholding them from the needy 
1 through their lack of means to purchase. This feature 
: alone of competitive strife is sufficient evidence of its 
j terrible evil, and is all the argument necessary to con- 
i demn it to oblivion. Truly we have followed an 

I ignisfatuus in the impossible endeavor to reconcile it 
with equitable government. Nature yields her bounty 


154 


A Strange Voyage. 

in abundance for all, part of mankind arbitrarily pre- 
vents the rest from enjoying it. Oh, what a base pre- 
tense of good government ! What a mockery of justice ! 

Notwithstanding their roomy, well ventilated plan 
of building cities, they accommodated, in a superior 
style, full as many as we do in the same space in the 
crowded, filthy and disorderly managed cities on our 
planet. It was a structure of government built upon 
the firm foundation of equity, its safety assured, its pro- 
gress eternal. 

The pretended practical minds may sneer at every 
effort to change from our abominable system to some- 
thing higher as totally impracticable, the fanciful 
pictures of poetic visionary, etc. We respectfully 
request them to occasionally lose sight of their stock 
jobbing and balance sheets, drag themselves beyond the 
aroma of fish barrels, butter tubs and cheese boxes, and 
pause in their neiwous greedy strain to reflect, whether 
or no, life has other and nobler purposes than to feed a 
lust for power, seek fleeting praise and grovel like 
worms of the earth, earthy, all their days. 

It is to be hoped that the rapid changes now obtain- 
ing in public sentiment has not altogether escaped their 
attention, and that they are in a measure sensible that 
there is a use for sentiment, even in our economic rela- 
tions with each other, as well as in all claims to mental 
and moral evolution in our social and spiritual aspira- 
tions. Confident and wise as their egotism and prided 
shrewdness may make them feel, nevertheless, the look 


155 


A Strange Voyage. 

of selfish cunning in the eyes, the lines of deceit and 
grossness seamed all over their countenances are plain 
to every keen observer, and the truly just and sensitive 
shrink with a feeling of loathing from their presence 
and contact. All the arts of deceit and polished gla- 
mour of wealth fail to successfully hide the deformities 
that are so lavishly coated with tinsel. The leaders of 
society in the near future will be chosen from among 
those who have cultivated the virtues of the soul more 
than they have worshiped at the shrine of Mammon. 

We were conducted through several of the buildings 
and thfcx» ^^s not the least arbitrary interference with 
the private atta^c of individuals, unless their tendencies 
were vicious. Neither 4id they attempt to reduce the 
social system to a communal sameness of discipline, 
dress and tastes. There was perfect freedom to do 
anything that did not infringe upon the rights of others. 

My Edith asked : “Do you begin to have a clear 
conception of the advantages of our economic form of 
government 

“Yes, and I marvel at its simplicity and effective- 
ness.^’ 

“Then you certainly must realize that as long as the 
competitive system controls production and distribution, 
strife and wreck will be the inevitable result. There 
is no redeeming grace in the system.” 

I could not gainsay it, for too well I knew that all 
over our habitable earth justice lies prostrate in the dust, 
and usurpation revels in power with ill-acquired wealth, 


156 


A Strange Voyage, 

while millions hunger for bread. The temples of reli- 
gion are too frequently used by Pharisees to promote their 
greedy enterprises. Virtue and honor are merely 
shammed by the majority to cloak their moral deformity, 
and governmental and social failures meet our gaze go 
where we may. 

“It was but a short time ago whilst riding on an 
electric car, on our planet, that my attention was 
attracted, by an involuntary sigh, to a refined, care- 
worn, middle aged woman, holding in her lap a large 
bundle of cut goods, which she was taking home t<^ 
made up into clothing. Her dress was poo^*/ neat, 
and a threadbare cape, a relic of days, on her 

shoulders, told too plainly the ^^’tter struggle of life, for 
the day was unusually d«inp and cold. The car was 
new and decorated lavishly. The passengers consisted 
mainly of a few well-dressed ladies, and children with 
bright sunny faces, that had seemingly never known a 
care, they were munching candy and eating bananas. 
Perhaps all combined had awakened a keener sense in 
the poor woman’s mind of the hopeless struggle before 
her. In all probability she had little ones at home for 
whom she could scarcely furnish bread and shelter with 
her sixteen hours labor a day. The look of woe on her 
finely formed face aroused my deepest sympathy, for 
well we know how much more intensely they who are 
refined feel than those of coarser mental make-up. 
Perhaps my intense feeling was communicated to her, 
for she involuntarily turned in her seat and looked me 


157 


A Strange Voyage, 

in the face, with a ray of hope struggling into existence, 
changing the sharp-curved angles of anguish into pleas- 
ing harmonious curves. She realized that at least one 
present could feel for the struggles of the poor. ^Tis such 
little lessons in life as this that makes the heart sicken 
of the hap-hazard competitive system. Even the 
unclaimed dogs in our cities fare better than the sensi- 
tive poor. I mentally prayed that public sentiment 
might soon undergo a conscientious awakening. Oh, 
Lord ! Will there ever be a just compensation demanded 
of us in the after life for our merciless conduct in this ? 

“As if from some higher source, with stirring glow 
descending on my head, the answer came: ‘For each 
neglect of conscious duty we chain ourselves to false 
spiritual conditions and bar our pathways to progress 
and happiness, thus literally condemning ourselves to 
conditions of hell.’ 

“If this was preached more and creeds less, we would 
have better men and women, and more of heaven on 
earth.” 

Edith replied: “That is a part of our religious 
philosophy, and it is inculcated into the minds of our 
children when quite young.” 

We had walked to a park, and surrounded with 
nature and art in all their beauty and refinement, my 
mind was in a proper condition to receive and apply 
the lessons given me by my intelligent teacher and 
soul-mate, for every hour spent in her delightful com- 
pany had been a spiritual schooling and refining. She 


158 


A Strange Voyage, 

had gradually, but speedily led me to a higher plane 
of love and a clearer conception of duty. All my 
senses had undergone a marked development. I 
could read her thoughts by her expression, as well 
as she could read mine, without a word being 
exchanged between us. 

Every time we walked together, after that morning 
when she sat so contentedly by my side on the prome- 
nade of the harbor, she took my hand or arm as her 
perfect right, and I too felt that she was mine for all 
eternity ; that naught could ever sever us. 

Approaching a lovely arbor, she said: “Come, let 
us be seated and I’ll endeavor to outline more fully our 
planetary government. 

“As you have been informed on many points I’ll 
endeavor to be concise and confine my remarks to an 
explanation of the way our planet is apportioned. 

“As already stated, all national lines were abolished 
nearly two thousand years ago, as it was found impos- 
sible to maintain a true civilization in any part of the 
planet while such antagonizing influences existed, so 
you must dismiss the national idea from your mind, as 
it is too selfish and narrow to be entertained in relation 
with human progress, for in reality it is but the selfish- 
ness of the individual enlarged. 

“Venus is apportioned into one hundred sections; 
each section into one hundred districts ; and each 
district into one hundred sub-districts. The sections, 
districts and sub-districts are consecutively numbered 


159 


A Strange Voyage, 

from one to one hundred. This, the capitol, is sub- 
district one, of district one, section one. It is also the 
head centre of planetary management. 

“Each section has a central department correspond- 
ing to your national capitols ; each district to the large 
divisions or states of a nation ; the sub-districts to 
counties of a division or state. 

“Thus the entire planetary interests are perfectly 
controlled through this orderly chain of communication : 
First, with the head department of each section. 
Second, the sections with the head departments of 
their districts. Third, the districts with all their sub- 
district departments. 

“All are directly connected by the most ingenious 
methods of rapid communication, and are constantly 
working for each others mutual interest. 

“They are governed by elective representation, from 
circumference to centre, as follows: All the sub- 
districts have a local representative body, composed of 
one hundred males and one hundred females. From 
the sub-districts a male and female are elected to the 
district legislature ; two hundred members in all. The 
district legislature, acting under the instructions of the 
majority of the sub-districts, and in accordance with 
strict impartiality, elect a male and female to represent 
them in the section legislature, which is composed of a 
hundred males and a hundred females. 

“The section legislatures also elect a male and fe- 
male to represent the section in the grand central council 


160 


A Strange Voyage. 

at the Capitol of the planet. As no undue influence can 
be brought to bear upon the choice of representatives, 
the interests of the people are faithfully served. 

“Here are located the head bureaus of all the inter- 
ests of the planet ; the managers and their assistants are 
equally apportioned from all parts of the planet, and 
are chosen by examining boards, and only those best 
fitted for the positions are chosen for leadership in any 
department. It is impossible for the coarse and selfish 
to force themselves into prominent positions.” 

I replied: “We have party cliques and lobbyists, 
with tempting gold, delaying good measures and pro- 
moting bad ones. I wish our planet would pattern 
after yours. We are continually in conflict with each 
other’s interests, or in some dispute and threatened 
struggle with other nations.” 

“A very sad state of affairs, but the good seed sown 
on your planet will yield a bountiful harvest of reforms 
in the near future. It is near midday, let us go to the 
hotel.” 

After dinner we visited the grand central depart- 
ments. The buildings were very extensive and of mag- 
nificent architecture. They were arranged around the 
grand central assembly building in the form of four 
circles, each circle contained four buildings. The 
divisions between the beautiful structures made four 
broad avenues leading to the central assembly. There 
was a motor car line on each. One of the avenues led 
from the harbor. 


161 


A Strange Voyage. 

The first circle contained the chief executive offices 
of every department, and the statistical libraries. A 
space of three hundred feet intervened between it and 
the second circle, which contained the bureaus of edu- 
cation, apportionment of uses, production, distribution, 
postal, telegraph, telephone and signal service. 

An intervening space of four hundred feet between 
it and the third circle which contained the bureaus 
of engraving, architecture, construction, mechanics and 
mining. Another space of five hundred feet to the 
fourth or outer circle, which contained the bureaus of 
agriculture, horticulture, parks, gardens, streets and 
roads, aerial, ocean, river and land transportation, and 
the harbor, light house and life saving services. 

There were shaded arbors with refreshment pavilions, 
beautiful statuary and fountains, ponds and flower beds 
in profusion in the park surrounding the buildings. 

The avenue leading to the harbor, which was two 
miles distant had a beautiful shaded walk on each side, 
and was also highly embellished with statuary, foun- 
tains and flowers. It was a delightful place, for, beside 
its many other charms, it commanded a full view of the 
harbor. We were provided with a double-seat tricycle, 
run by a miniature motor, and enjoyed a full inspection 
of the exterior of the buildings and the park, without 
fatiguing ourselves. We alighted and passed through 
several of the departments, but did not stop to make an 
investigation ; thousands of clerks were at work, but all 
was perfect order. 


162 


A Strange Voyage, 

Edith said: “We will come here again and give 
you an opportunity to learn more about the manage- 
ment of our planetary interests. They close all the 
departments at two o’clock, and it lacks but a few min- 
utes of that time. We had better go, and ride down 
the broad avenue to the water.” 

I asked her if they worked longer than in the other 
uses. She replied: “No, but they commence later, be- 
ginning work at half-past eight and working until half- 
past eleven, with an hour and a half recess for dinner ; 
then working from one to two o’clock, to balance their 
books.” 

We relinquished our tricycles and took the motor 
car for the harbor; on returning there, we were met by 
a party of several others, and accompanied them to the 
extensive docks and warehouses, which covered several 
thousand acres. All the buildings were connected with 
the docks by a line of freight cars, and a passenger line 
of small motors, making access to and fro very conven- 
ient and expeditious. 

As it was after working hours, it was very quiet, 
but the attendants, on watch, politely conducted us 
through the buildings and about the docks. The mag- 
nitude of the warehouses and convenient methods for 
the expeditious handling of every species of goods were 
a source of both wonderment and instruction. A state 
of order that is only attainable by the purely co-opera- 
tive system, where there can be no conflict or unneces- 
sary delay in the exchange of production. 


163 


A Strange Voyage, 

The question again occurred to my mind : *Are 
not the immense corporations so recently being formed 
on our planet about to force us, in the near future, to 
adopt the entire co-operative system, in spite of our 
selfishness, for purely self protection against des- 
potism and dependent serfdom ? It is argued by some, 
that they have such a strong foothold, that it is futile to 
attempt to contend against them. 

Let me remind them that no power on earth can 
withstand the steady determined fiat of popular opinion. 
All usurping authority will be swept from the face of 
the earth in the very near future, as the foul excrements 
are swept through the sew’ers by the floods. 

The usurers, drones and usurpers are the putrid 
clogs that are offensively contaminating every avenue 
of life, retarding every phase of human progress, and 
like the foul sewage must be flushed away, that they 
may no longer polute the earth. I feel that it would be 
a cowardly neglect of duty to spare denunciation. 

We remained there until four o’clock. 

Edith said: “We are invited to a row about the 
harbor. Is it agreeable to you.^^” 

“It will afford me the greatest pleasure. She led 
me to a pretty boat landing and boarded a graceful 
pinnace, painted in bright purple and white, and beau- 
tifully embossed in gold and white metal, the seats 
were richly cushioned, and a bright silk canopy afforded 


♦From an address delivered in 1876. 


164 


A Strange Voyage, 

ample shade. The boat was row'ed by eight athletic 
young men, and steered by a sprightly miss. All of 
them were dressed in bright uniforms, tastefully in 
keeping with the colors of the boat, and well adapted 
for the comfort and grace of movement. They were 
the champion rowers and most expert steerer, and had 
been selected to do me especial honor, as they had 
learnt that I was at one time a sailor, and was still pas- 
sionately fond of boating. 

We had a delightful time, gliding swiftly about the 
great seaport, amid hundreds of pleasure boats of an 
almost endless variety of graceful designs and ornamen- 
tation ; many a crew put themselves to their metal in 
their endeavor to pass us, though they impelled our 
rowers to little extra exertion, none of them succeeded. 
We visited all the points of interest in and about the 
entrance of the harbor, and had an enjoyable evening 
meal at one of the island restaurants. 

After sunset we embarked again and were being 
rowed, as we supposed, to shore, but when directly 
opposite the city, and about half a mile from the prin- 
cipal landing place, our crew stopped rowing, leaving 
their oars trail in the water beside the boat, and sang a 
beautiful echo song, which was repeated by the crews of 
other boats and by many people on the esplanade skirt- 
ing the harbor, with beautiful effect. It was one of the 
most pleasant surprises we had been treated to since our 
arrival on the planet. 


165 


A Strange Voyage, 

We were wondering what next, when Edith said: 
“We had better remain and witness the annual water 
carnival and illumination.” 

The fair steerer said: “We are provided with coats 
and wraps ; I think it is advisable to don them, as we 
are likely to remain here for some time.” 

She opened a locker in the stern of the boat and 
handed out the contents for distribution, saying: “Here 
is a beautiful wrap for your companion, and a com- 
fortable overcoat which I think is about your fit.” 

It suited admirably, though I did not try it on until 
after I had assisted my ideal guide and the pretty 
steerer to put on their wraps. The young men also 
donned their overcoats, for the air was rather cool. 

At a preconcerted signal millions of electric lights 
forming beautiful architectural designs and mottoes, in 
every conceivable variety of harmonious coloring, 
flashed their brilliancy from city and harbor. At 
regular intervals all the lights would instantaneously dis- 
appear leaving everything in total darkness, for they 
chose a moonless night for the display, then there 
would be sent up a lavish display of fireworks ; some of 
them were markedly instructive, one in particular 
conveyed a very forcible lesson to the selfish ; it repre- 
sented the spirit of a tyrant and usurer, haunted and 
perpetually pursued by the phantom images of the 
victims of his tyranny and greed, he flew in every 
direction in the vain attempt to escape from the sight 
of those he had wronged, but the heavens were closed 


166 


A Strange Voyage, 

against him, and a yawning abyss alive with creeping 
reptiles and hideous monsters, typical of his debased 
spiritual nature, alone opened to receive him. 

My guide said: “Such is the actual condition of 
those in spirit life who have lived for self alone in this 
life.’^ 

It occurred to me that a few thousand dollars spent 
yearly in every city of our republic for a similar allegor- 
ical display on the national holiday would tend to 
remind us that this government was formed for a higher 
purpose than to be turned into a large national pawn- 
shop, and would certainly be more entertaining than 
listening to a drawling reading of a declaration of inde- 
pendence that has practically ceased to be anything but 
a myth of our departed freedom. 

Wire cables were stretched between the metal 
pavilions, and from them to the shore, on which were 
arranged exquisite devices formed of colored electric 
lights. The carnival terminated with a procession of 
gaily illuminated motor barges, gondolas and pretty 
row boats, forming many intricate figures as they 
passed under the lights and around the brilliantly 
illuminated pavilions, all singing and playing in 
perfect chord the same tunes. The buildings through- 
out the entire city were brilliantly illuminated, and the 
reflection of them and the lights from the pavilions and 
boats made a superb scene. 

Every large boat carried a band, and others were 
stationed on the metal pavilions and the shore, and 


167 


A Strange Voyage. 

during the progress of the illumination and festival 
procession, at given signals, they all played the same 
tune at the same time, directed by the head band 
leader stationed on one of the pavilions, who directed 
all when and what to play, by means of light signals. 

At the conclusion of the fete I escorted my partner 
to her hotel, tenderly wished her good-night, sought 
my own apartments and retired in a state of exquisite 
bewilderment to the realm of happy dreams. 

Whence thy source, great mystery — human mind? 

Where thy goal? Thy limits undefined. 


168 


A Strange Voyage, 


CHAPTER IX. 

I arose early, called for Edith, and we joined the | 
visitors assembled in the park surrounding our hotel. | 
We were greeted by a bevy of joyous youths and maids, 
who presented us with beautiful bouquets. A bell j 
rang. | 

“Come,*’ said my guide, “ let us go to the restau- i 
rant and have a light repast, for we are to take a long - | 
ride before breakfast ; we’ll not return for two hours.” 

We did so, and shortly afterwards, in company with 
many others, rode on one of the elegant motor line 
cars that skirted the harbor. The route was fifteen 
miles in length, extending to both sides of the entrance. 

We made a brief stay at each terminus; ascended the 
fine observatory towers in elevators and enjoyed a fine 
view of sea and shore miles in extent. 

There were several fine pavilions, with a refresh- 
ment stand and library of newspaper literature on 
both sides of the entrance, and fine promenades well 
elevated above the sea, supplied with cosy shaded seats. 
They were favorite resorts, for when tired contemplat- 
ing the pleasant marine views, persons could enjoy a 
few hours comfortable reading. How pleasant to con- 
template such a scene, and feel that all were equal 
sharers in its advantages, that it was without money or 
price, none could selfishly monopolize it. I was forci- 


169 


A Strange Voyage, 

bly reminded of the little leisure and the unpleasant 
stinted surroundings of the great mass of toilers on our 
planet, and the unlimited leisure of those who live off 
the fruit of the industrial classes' labor, through the 
terrible robbery of rents and interest. There the prac- 
tice of equity afforded all ample leisure and abundance 
for every need. 

We returned for breakfast very much refreshed and 
with keen appetites. Strange indeed in this nerve- 
straining dyspeptic age to possess such a vulgar sensa- 
tion as a good appetite, for the forced strain on our 
nervous energies is steadily undermining health. 

At the tables were seated the representatives of 
other planets, who, like us, had been out viewing the 
harbor. It was a rare gathering of intellect and culture ; 
yet there was an entire absence of any manifestation of 
personal superiority or pretension. It occurred to me 
that many of the denizens of our planet might profit by 
contact with such company, at least to the extent of 
experiencing a slight relaxation of their too rigid spinal 
columns. 


The plumage bright, the studied airs so fine, 

Exposed to light our weaknesses define.. 

The people of Venus never hurried at their meals, 
they made them enjoyable social gatherings, sparkling 
wdth wit and wisdom. We remained nearly an 
hour at the table discussing many subjects, and more 
particularly economic questions. A representative of 


Mars was seated directly opposite to me. He gave me 
a brief description of life on that planet, from which it 
was very evident that it had not differed materially 
from life on ours, until a very recent date. 

He said: “We have just rid ourselves of all selfish 
obstructions to the equitable use of skill, labor and 
material, and have also done away with all unnecessary 
uses. The more we were isolated by selfish interests, 
the more painful the contrasts of wealth and poverty, 
the increase of crime, apace with perverted knowledge, 
and the hopeless failures to satisfactorily govern 
humanity. 

“The greatest difficulty we had to contend with 
during the crusade for the abolition of the competitive 
system was the public press. They systematically 
ridiculed and opposed every measure proposed, and 
were the means of bringing persecution, imprisonment 
and even the death penalty to those who had the moral 
courage to stand up in defense of right, until the tide of 
popular feeling began to run in the channels of reform, 
then in the selfish endeavor to court the favor of the 
very ones they heretofore denounced, they commenced 
a systematic course of toadying for their support, 
literally performing a backward summersault. This 
course on their part proved a very threatening danger, 
and was nearly the means of precipitating a bloody 
revolution, for they condoned the unjust demands and 
excesses of the ignorant iconoclasts just as unscrupu- 
lously as they had heretofore hurled their venomous 


^ ^Dtrange voyage. 


IV i 


shafts of denunciation against the efforts of reformers 
to emancipate the oppressed. 

“This pernicious power of the press was very forci- 
bly illustrated about a century ago in one of our then 
leading nations (a republic), in which there was 
an incongruous commingling of buncombe claims 
to freedom and the most despicable reign of money 
despotism. We had attained a peculiar crisis in our 
planetary affairs ; all nations were more or less affected, 
for it seemed as if all avenues of commerce were hope- 
lessly clogged by a surfeit of production, for which 
there was lacking an adequate purchasing power to 
again set it in motion ; literally it was an epochial 
balancing up, which seems to be an inevitable compen- 
satory settlement for delinquencies, common to all 
nations, through all ages. 

“The capitalists were confronted with an issue 
which they had been the prime factors in bringing 
about. Fearful of the vengeance of an impoverished 
people, the press was vigorously employed to stir up 
factional issues, as counter irritants, to distract the 
attention of the masses from the causes underlying and 
producing their abject dependency and distress. 

“The native citizens were blindly led into the 
service of the money power by the cunningly devised 
appeals of the press to nativism, resulting in a severance 
of all ties of unity between them and the aliens, and 
for a time a reign of riot and terror prevailed which 


172 


A Strange Voyage. 

threatened to engulf the very ones who had schemed to 
produce it. When a revulsion of popular feeling came, 
the exasperation of the multitude in wreaking ven- 
geance upon the press, was fearful to behold, for making 
of them such pliant tools for capital, by appealing to 
their prejudices. It is during such occurrences as these 
that they are enabled to thoroughly estimate the moral 
status of a people. Fortunately the good sense of 
the higher developed minority prevailed, quiet was 
restored and we attained a peaceful solution of our 
difficulties.'" 

We arose from the table with the other guests, and 
as soon as we entered the sitting room a page handed 
Edith a note and presented each of us with a bouquet 
of exquisite flowers, set in inlaid handles of marvelous 
workmanship. The note was an invitation to accom- 
pany a party in a ride a few miles out in the country. 
We were pleased to accept it, and soon reached the agri- 
cultural districts. The farms were intersected with fine 
concrete roads and paths, and wells under the shade of 
beautiful trees were conveniently located a few miles 
apart. The ground was also paved for quite a distance 
from the hotels and barns, with the exception of the 
spaces devoted to flowers and shrubs. There were a 
number of small houses on the border of the pavement 
for the farm operatives to change their apparel, in going 
to and from their work on the farms Cleanly house- 
keepers were not unnecessarily annoyed with dirt from 
the fields. 


173 


A Strange Voyage, 

We were very much interested in the working of the 
machinery. One of the motors ploughed and harrowed, 
in perfect form, a field of six acres in mi hour, though 
the land was rather une'^^cn. A wire cable stretched 
on supports ran parallel on two sides of the immense 
field, wire on which the motor ran across the 

to each cable, ensuring a straight furrow; the 
motor plow and harrow combined was reversible, and 
as soon as the end of the furrow was reached, the motor 
reversed the plow and harrow for cutting the return 
furrow, and so it is kept doing until the entire field was 
thoroughly ploughed and harrowed.* 

The barns were roomy and equipped with presses, 
elevators, drying and storerooms, perfectly ventilated 
and absolutely fire proof. The machine house was 
equipped with a forge, turning lathe, drills, etc., run 
by motor power. Everything was kept in the best of 
order. We took a tricycle and rode over the smooth 
roads of the farm and returned just as the bell pro- 
claimed preparation for dinner. Reader, do not sup- 
pose that eating was the most important feature of our 
voyage, we merely mention the time of meals so as to 
enable you to follow our steps during our sojourn on 
Venus. 

The operators soon gathered at the hotel, for those 
who had been working in the distant parts quit work 
half an hour before the rest. At twelve we entered the 


♦ From the author’s manuscript as first written in 1875. 


174 


A Strange Voyage, 

dining room and imagine our surprise to see the farm 
hands dressed with the same neat elegance as the city 
folks. All the appointments of the hamlet hotel were 
similar to those in the cUj. Our rustic entertainers 
were highly educated. When oui occorts intimated 
that it was time to depart for the session oi grand 
assembly, I parted with the interesting community v.uVi 
regret. 

Our train rapidly took us to the city, and soon after 
we entered the central legislative assembly of the planet. 

The assembly hall was in the form of three-fourths 
of a circle, with a raised dais between the extremities 
for the presiding officers, male and female ; immediately 
in front of them were the recording clerks, and on both 
sides, desks, one hundred in all, for sectional reporters. 

On the main floor two hundred desks were arranged, 
facing the presiding officers, for the male and female 
representatives. Two beautiful galleries extended 
ground the hall, to within twenty-five feet of the 
reporters^ desks ; they had a seating capacity for several 
thousand. 

The members and officers embraced the function of 
a chief court of justice as well as a legislative body. 
The contrast was very marked between the way they 
did business and the lobby-retarded legislation on our 
earth, scheming for dishonest interests instead of pro- 
moting the public welfare. There was neither partisan 
division nor excited debate. 


175 


A Strange Voyage, 

Every measure presented, was put in a concise 
form, and dispatched in an expeditious and intelligent 
manner, only such remarks offered by others than those 
presenting the bills, as were absolutely necessary for a 
clear understanding of them. The amount of business 
accomplished in the few hours we were there would 
have occupied nearly a three months' session of our 
congress and senate, and then the bulk of their legislative 
acts would in all probabilities be adverse to the peo- 
ples' interest, and favorable to monopoly or bond 
holders. 

As a sample of their legislation : A noble looking 
lady member offered a bill for a new and extensive 
line of rail and telegraph communication in a newly 
settled portion of the section she represented. She 
explained their necessity in a few appropriate remarks, 
and within thirty minutes they had received the full 
approbation of the house, signed by the presiding offi- 
cers, and the bill sent to the central executive board 
of uses. We were told that within twenty-four hours 
every requisite step would be taken in securing the 
necessary skill, labor and material for a prompt begin- 
ning and speedy completion of the work. 

Reader, you may think this is somewhat exaggerated, 
but let me ask you why t And answer by propounding 
other questions. 

What could impede any of their enterprises, with 
no impediments to the free use of skill, labor and 
material } Is not the skill, labor and material prevented 


176 


A Strange Voyage, 

from doing the same for us by one factor only: The 
power of money? Does the money really perform any 
other than a tyrannical or selfish part in any govern- 
nental or commercial enterprise or social use? 

But you say “ It represents value/’ 

“How is it valuable?” 

Your answer can only be: “ Because it represents 
ownership of a medium of exchange with a fixed value.” 

Logical sequence: It is a power to fix the price 
of commodities ; to give its possessors the power to 
acquire ownership of the natural resources of the earth, 
and to wrest from others the largest portion of the fruits 
of their toil. It is a despotic power of the worst form, 
before which the claimed “Divine rights of kings” pales 
into insignificance. 

Its many functions are evil, for it ties the hands of 
toilers subject to its despotic, selfish fiat, only allow- 
ing them to work when the holders of wealth can 
receive a selfish profit in their employment. It places 
a premium on every species of crime by its tempting 
acquirement, and a discount on virtue by its power to 
corrupt and oppress ; yea ! even starve people into 
subjection to its mandates. 

A true civilization is impossible whilst any form of 
money is in use. Excuse my digression from the des- 
cription of the voyage. 

I was very much pleased with the able, dignified 
and unostentatious manner of the members, particu- 
larly the ladies. I remarked it to Edith, who replied : 


177 


A Strange Voyage, 

“Our females share with the males the responsi- 
bilities of government. There must be a perfect accord 
of both sexes in public as well as domestic life, to in- 
sure harmony and perfect government. We would be 
wasting time and energy in attempting it without this 
unity, for the maternal instincts tend to a more careful 
observance of the moral features of legislation. Though 
woman’s natural realm is gentleness, yet in all justice, 
she is entitled to perfect equality with man, for her 
finer tastes and more receptive nature to intuitive im- 
pressions are the refiners of his coarser, stronger 
nature, inspiring and leading him, without any evi- 
dence of force, to a keener appreciation and attainment 
of all that is ennobling; hence the advantage of her 
constant association with him in all the affairs of life.” 

We remained until the assembly adjourned for 
the day. I could not refrain from thinking about the 
absurd bombast of our much extolled public men. For. 
what, I have never been satisfactorily informed. Judg- 
ing by the results of their vaunted legislative wisdom 
all the weight of evidence is against their assumption, 
for but a minute modicum of the vast bulk of the meas- 
ures they have concocted have been of any practical 
use to humanity. Questions of finance, so weighty, so 
momentous, have occupied their sage attention congress 
after congress, their promoters making great display 
of forensic eloquence, all to result at last in the robbery 
of the many for the favored few. Our halls have 
vibrated again and again with Demosthonian eloquence 


178 


A Stra?tge Voyage. 

and fervor as to our glory and prosperity as a free peo- 
ple, yet property caste lines are as strong here as in 
monarchical governments ; but few have a place they 
can call their home, and gaunt want stares millions in 
the face. Political sages tell us of the progress we 
have made, and how blessed our lot when compared 
to the conditions of the generations of past ages, yet 
the living facts too clearly prove, that the relation of 
master and slave is taking deeper and deeper root every 
hour that we breathe, and the producers have less and 
less control and enjoyment of the products of their own 
labor. Our nation is glorified as a land of equality and 
republican simplicity, yet our accredited representatives 
abroad are as servile as any flunkies that ever wore the 
livery of kings ; and they sigh in continuous regret that 
our nation is still too borish to permit them to don the 
lace, frills and buckles of full court attire. 

With a keen discernment of the fitness of things my 
guide singled out a venerable representative, introduced 
me to him, and he accompanied us to the hotel. Com- 
fortably seated on the broad veranda commanding a 
view of the harbor and its beautiful surroundings, he 
entertained me with many important questions relating 
to their industrial form of government. Among other 
topics discussed, he said: 

“ It is unnecessary to enumerate the many compli- 
cations which at one time so completely barred our 
progress, but it will suffice to merely recount a few 
instances: 


A Strange Voyage, 179 

“ Our planet’s remote past was somewhat similar to 
your planet’s present condition, judging by what you 
have said about it, for at one time we had a competi- 
tive system. Perhaps we may be able to cull from the 
pages of history the desired information, to show you 
how to properly proceed in the important change from 
the competitive to the non-competitive system. If the 
initiative step is in the right direction, and firmly main- 
tained, the next one will surely soon follow, and each 
succeeding one will be easier of attainment. This is 
an inevitable law of evolution. Let me demonstrate it: 

“Place a youth to learn a trade. The knowledge 
and skill acquired to-day makes the morrow’s task 
easier, and so on, step by step, until the once untrained 
boy becomes a skilled workman ; for the training of 
brain and muscle steadily increase their power. Now 
let us consider ourselves beginners in political and social 
reforms, and as near the footstool as the apprentice boy 
when beginning to learn his trade ; and just as it is 
proper that the boy should possess the requisite mental 
qualities and liking for his chosen occupation, so, too, 
we should be sure that the step we are about to take is 
the correct one to the attainment of a desired end. If 
this is done, then assuredly we will secure the same 
success in government as the boy in learning his trade. 
I have devoted many years to the study of past ages, 
in order to fit myself to instruct our youths in sound 
principles of equitable, non-competitive government 


180 


A Strange Voyage. 

Perhaps by this time you have determined the advan- 
tages of ours in comparison with yours.’’ 

“ It is infinitely superior, for our competitive system 
is but a mass of selfish putridity. 

“Low deceptive cunning and pretense are surer 
means of preferment than ability and moral rectitude. 

“The selfish knaves in front; 

Back seats to ablest brain. 

“You wisely work ; pluck out each noxious weed 
And cultivate life’s flora with best care. 

We let the weeds mature, to cast their seed, 

And multiply their evils everywhere. 

“Please excuse my interruption, I prefer to listen to 
you, and learn more about your customs.” 

“No interruption whatever: I am as anxious to 
know about your planet as you are of ours. To con- 
tinue the subject of government: The historical records 
show, that before the change to the non-competitive 
system occurred, the oppression of the competitive sys- 
tem had forced, by inevitable compensatory law, the 
very measures that were to act the principal part in its 
extinction. Thus oppressors unwittingly become the 
greatest instruments of reform. 

“The radical changes which transpired in so short 
a period did not cause any great disturbance, nor ob- 
struct the orderly administration of government during 
the transition. We had many co-operative features of 
government before this great change transpired, notably 
the mail and signal services, control of lakes, rivers, 


181 


A Strange Voyage, 

harbors, light houses, life saving stations, public 
schools and several other important uses ; they had long 
been an established success, therefore were the base of 
operation for the extension of the principle. 

“One important measure was added after the other 
so gradually, yet withall so expeditiously, that in a very 
few years all the uses of life were brought under the 
same orderly equitable system. Are there many uses 
under government control on your planet.^” 

“Quite a number, embracing those you have just 
enumerated.” 

“It would seem that your planet is destined to 
follow in the same footsteps as ours.” 

“I sincerely hope it may.” 

“The money problem was our most perplexing 
difficulty, for in it was concentrated the combined 
power of usurers and usurpers, who had for ages 
enjoyed absolute sway, but happily its solution was 
discovered, for it became clear that the work of reform 
would have to be done, at first, with the use of the 
government’s money, as the surest way to clip the 
grasping talons of the money holders. 

“Factories for the manufacture of every article used 
in the government service were speedily established, 
and millions of workers were added to the co-operative 
productive system, with steady employment assured. 

“The next important step was the production of all 
kinds of food to supply the government employes ; this 
added millions more. Soon the municipal governments 


182 


A Strange Voyage. 

adopted the same systems, the city treasuries assuring 
ample means for their establishment. Soon it was 
found necessary to embrace all the uses of life under 
the general and local governments, and within a period 
of fifteen years the entire change from the competitive 
to the non-competitive system was made complete all 
over our planet, and the use of money became unnec- 
essary.*’ 

“How did you reconcile your international compli- 
cations of revenues accruing from imports and exports 

“They had been gradually reduced to a system of 
reciprocal interests. 

“Armies and navies had been abolished for some 
time, and the most friendly relations existed between 
all nations. Congresses of representative minds from 
all nations had been frequently held for mutual advance- 
ment in the science of government. 

“Our literature abounded with satires on the 
absurdity of national egotisms, and while they castigated 
the ambition and pomp of warriors they did not under- 
value heroism of character, but showed clearly that 
there were thousands of other and better ways for its 
use than leading armies to wholesalely murder fellow 
creatures.” Consulting his watch: “I have an ap- 
pointment with a visitor from planet Saturn ; I regret 
being compelled to terminate our interview. Good 
evening.” 


A Stra?tge Voyage. 


183 


CHAPTER X. 

Edith and I spent the evening seated on the balcony 
of the hotel, enjoying a quiet conversation for several 
hours, for most of the guests had gone to an industrial 
fair, W’hich was held a short distance from the hotel. 

When I look over the rugged and barren wastes 
that my feet have struggled through for the past forty 
years, and the few bright ways that have gladdened my 
wearied mind, I recall the delightful companionship 
of my sweet guide as the most cherished oasis of all. 

We didn’t spend the time in silly dalliance, our 
affection was too earnest and spiritual to waste itself in 
the fleeting breath of passion. She was highly educated, 
having qualified and served as a teacher of marked 
ability, and besides was reared in and surrounded by an 
atmosphere of perfect freedom, and equality of the 
sexes. My fair ideal portrayed all the perfections of 
womanly nature ; attracting me to her without artifice, 
and holding me in love’s sweet bondage a constant 
devotee at her shrine. 

I realized how few there are who have a clear con- 
ception of the true beauty of woman’s mind, and her 
important office in life. How much of real happiness 
and progress is lost to the world by an undeiwaluing of 
her nature. All the good that graces human nature we 
owe to her refining influence. I had realized possibili- 


184 A Strange Voyage, 

ties in my own mind that I never should have known, 
had not her wonderful penetration and sympathy quick- 
ened their latent powers into active being. Life never 
attains even the semblance of happiness, or conception 
of duty and power, without this true unity of the sexes. 
A proper appreciation of our duty in securing to woman 
perfect freedom and equality is the most important step 
in human progress. When this is clearly presented to 
the world, none but libertines, squirming in the slimy 
filth of debauchery, and the soulless cynics, gluttoned 
with selfishness and tyranny, will oppose it. 

It was half past ten o’clock when we parted for the 
night. She accompanied a class-mate to her home, 
and I sought my chamber and retired. I lay awake for 
some time thinking of the many insidious sophisms that 
are used against a co-operative government. The con- 
versation of the afternoon had vividly recalled to mind 
how frequently I had been induced to reply to the cry 
of paternalism since the general agitation of economic 
reforms began twenty-five years ago. 

With a sincere endeavor to be free from all bias, I 
have invited the strongest arguments against the indus- 
trial form of government ; for I clearly realized when 
but a boy that in the search for greater truths it would 
be absurd to willfully stand in our own light, and by 
faithfully adhering to this rule through all the years that 
have intervened, I have yet to meet with the first argu- 
ment iut favor of the continuance of the competitive 
system that I failed to logically disprove. 


185 


A Strange Voyage. 

Truth Is an inherent principle in nature ; the earnest 
seekers of it will find their deductions drawn from the 
experiences of daily life far more valuable than the 
most vaunted treatise on political economy, whose 
authors have almost invariably made it subservient to a 
fatal compromising policy with error. Truth is an 
infallible reference, and can be found, free for all, in 
limitless quantity on the shelves of nature’s great 
library. 

Without having read a single work on political or 
social economy during my life, by relying on my obser- 
vations, guided by truth, I have kept in the van of 
economic reforms. This is not offered in egotism, for 
I determined over thirty years ago to avoid having my 
mind influenced by the prejudices of others, as the per- 
nicious effects of false teachings met me everywhere I 
turned. 

How frequently we hear individuals assert that an 
orderly co-operative system of government is imprac- 
tical, and cite cases in history where it has been tried 
and proven a failure. There is very little analogy 
between the economic conditions of the past ages and 
this; every condition has changed. Truth has been 
persistently, though quietly, leavening the mass of 
humanity. The paternalism of the remote past was 
either despotic and barbarous in its nature, maintained 
by brute force entirely; or a patriarchial system, 
embracing a tribe or family, less despotic, yet like the 
other, exacting an abject acquiescence to the will of the 


186 


A Strange Voyage, 

patriarch, who was law maker as well as ruler, and 
who, like the military despot, though somewhat less 
offensive in form, governed with two ideas paramount 
to all else : Self aggrandizement, and the accumula- 
tion of wealth from the labor of the governed. 

How could such a system tend to order and stability 
of government With the example of “ might makes 
right’’ ever before the masses, was not strife and 
violent revolutions a natural sequence? 

Did any nation in the past try the experiment of an 
impartial enforcement of equity in all the manifold 
relations of life? I apprehend not; for if it had been 
instituted, by the inherent force of truth itself, it would 
have been self-propagative, and gradually have 
extended itself. On the contrary we have abundant 
evidence to prove that their main incentives were abom- 
inably selfish and antagonizing, totally at variance with 
the practice of equity. 

Even in this enlightened age, we hear some speak 
about the desirability of establishing a happy medium 
between the competitive system and the industrial co- 
operative form of government. The happy medium 
will never be found. To successfully adopt the one 
we must abandon the other ; the two systems cannot be 
affiliated; nay, not even form coalations and result in 
permanent good ; it is a question of simple right or 
wrong. Which will you choose? 

How much longer I might have cogitated it is diffi- 
cult to say, for I did not feel the least sleepy, but real- 


187 


A Strange Voyage. 

izing that I was to arise early next morn, with a busy 
day before us, sleep I must, so I arose, pulled the stop- 
per of a sweet soothing tune, returned to bed, and soon 
• its quieting influence lulled me to sweet repose. The 
machinery of the musical compartments were arranged 
to stop the instrument after each tune was played 
through, and unless turned on again, it substituted with 
another tune. 

I arose at dawn, dressed myself, and went out on 
the veranda. Edith soon made her appearance, radi- 
ant as Aurora ; her matchless form arrayed in a suit of 
pearl gray, trimmed with a deeper shade of the same 
color, enlivened with lace collar and cuffs, and a light 
silk mantle trimmed with pearls draped gracefully over 
her shoulders, even among that aesthetic people, she 
[ was the observed of all observers. Could I be less 
( observant or appreciative ? 

t We leisurely walked down the shaded avenue to the 
I harbor, inhaling the sweet aroma of the flowers on the 
way. On reaching the water we boarded a pretty 
motor-yacht, managed by a young lady, who had been 
selected to take us on a morning trip about the unsur- 
passed harbor. It was very enjoyable. We returned 
to the hotel at eight o’clock. 

I After breakfast we were conducted to the depart- 
, ment of hygiene. 

; I was introduced to the director and also to a rep- 
! resentative of Mars, who was earnestly investigating all 
' the details of the department. 


188 


A Strange Voyage, 

In answer to my inquiry about its management, the 
director said : “The members of the governing board 
are chosen from the ranks of the most experienced 
physicians, and all of the attaches are graduates of 
medicine, serving a three years after-term to complete 
their medical knowledge ; after the expiration of this 
term they are apportioned to the several departments 
of health, as local sanitary inspectors and physicians 
combined. 

“Eighteen competent, full-classed, physicians, with 
a full corps of nurses are apportioned to every twelve 
thousand people, which is the average number con- 
tained in a section. They are divided into four six- 
hour watches, four physicians being on duty at a time, 
two are held as a relief corps for emergencies. 

“In all agricultural districts there are eight physi- 
cians to every seven square miles of territory. They 
are also divided into watches and are assisted when 
necessary by competent nurses. 

“The land and water transportation seiwice and the 
manufacturing districts are equally well cared for. 

“It is more economical to support this extensive 
department for the preservation of health than to deal 
with the result of a want of intelligent forethought. 
They have supervision of the sanitary methods of 
construction, and can prohibit that which is inimical to 
good health. 

He introduced us to his assistants, and they court- 
eously conducted us through the several departments, 


189 


A Strange Voyage. 

imparting much valuable information. How much 
wiser than our medical system. All had a common 
interest in each others welfare. None were barred 
from facilities of hygiene and the most skillful profes- 
sional treatment, as they are with us, through lack of 
money to pay for them. 

Oh, blind advocate of the competitive system ! In 
your palaces of refinement and fastideous seclusion 
from the vulgar multitude, your fancied security is a 
delusion, for the lightest breath of the winds can waft 
to you, from the overcrowded tenem.ents of the poor, 
the germs of every blighting disease, and even the 
insects that bask in the genial sunshine can inoculate 
the throne with the poisonous blood of the slums. 

Compensatory law pursues evil doers until retribu- 
tive justice is attained. We cannot escape the penalty 
of any sin, nor the neglectful omission of any duty 
towards others, though our fellow beings may be blind 
to our short comings. Nor are our selfish egotisms a 
shield against the retaliatory justice of violated natural 
laws. 

We were much instructed and pleased with the 
workings of this department. We thanked the director 
and his assistants for their kind attention and departed. 
As we emerged on the street, a gentleman greeted 
Edith. I was introduced, and on his invitation, accom- 
panied him to the department of distribution, to which 
he was attached. Edith accompanied a lady friend to 
her hotel. 


190 A Strange Voyage, 

It took but a few minutes to reach our destination. 
Throughout the parks surrounding the magnificent 
groups of buildings, were quite a number of elegant 
restaurants, one of which we entered at my companion’s 
suggestion. It was rather a novel sight to see people 
enter and partake of refreshments without having to 
pay anything. 

In answer to my comments, my companion said : 
“We produce more than we can consume, therefore 
the cost is not considered. Why should we withhold 
from each other the good things that nature so lavishly 
bestows, by subjecting them to an arbitrary money 
power, which the evil disposed can more easily accu- 
mulate than those of good intentions?” 

“Assuredly it w'ould be fallacious to do so; yet on 
our planet we have to purchase them before we can 
enjoy them, and on this false system scheming drones 
thrive at the expense of others’ toil. It suits the 
interests of the dominant classes best to dump all that 
is not purchased of them into the cesspools, rather than 
give the goods to the needy, because it would be estab- 
lishing a precedent dangerous to commercial interests. 

“They are held to a policy against which their con- 
sciences revolt. The real fault is in the system not in 
the individual. A person’s income is his power of 
purchase. The average income of skilled mechanics is 
about six hundred dollars per annum, whilst a merchant 
or professional man, with half the amount of labor, may 
receive from one to twenty thousand dollars per year. 


191 


A Strange Voyage, 

So you perceive the choice of, or necessity of occupa- 
tions makes a wide difference in the social status and 
purchasing power of the individual.” 

“Yes, I realize it, and it must be productive of great 
injustice.” 

He led the way into the department ; as soon as we 
had entered, he said: “Let us be seated near this 
instrument, it connects with the head distributing de- 
partment of section No. 12.” 

Soon a message was received: “send fifty motor 
cars to sub-district 11, district 90, section 12.” 

Message No. 2: “Send 44,000 barrels of wheat 
flour to sub-district 13, district 7, section 12. 

And so the orders came in rapid succession. The 
messages as soon as received were recorded, and a copy 
immediately sent to the head central supply office of 
the entire planet. 

I inquired how the orders were filled ? He replied : 
“ Directly from the nearest places where they are pro- 
duced or manufactured, per order the head central 
office, to the local distributing stores, without any un- 
necessary handling, confusion or delay. 

“To understand the management of this depart- 
ment, is to hold the key to the solution of the entire 
central control of equitable production and distribution 
on our planet. I presume you realize how much more 
orderly our industrial co-operative government is than 
the changable, disorderly methods of individual control. 


192 


A Strange Voyage, 

where the avarice or caprice of a part of every com- 
munity conflicts with the rights of all others. 

“We have removed every unnatural or selfish im- 
pediment to the adoption of any measure that individ- 
uals or communities may conceive necessary for their 
or the general welfare. This is the marked advantage 
of the purely co-operative over the competitive system. 
To repeat it more clearly: Competitive government 
does not restrain individuals sufficiently from trespass- 
ing on others rights, hence tacitly encourages injustice 
and crime, thus retarding our development into a nobler 
individuality. The co-operative system restrains only 
the power of trespass, and clears every pathway to our 
upward development.’^ 

“ Have any attempts been made by disaffected peo- 
ple to reinstate the competitive system.?” 

“Not since the non-competitive system was firmly 
established, and there is not the least danger of it now, 
for we would as soon voluntarily go into a state of bar- 
barism.” 

“ I think our planet is at last awakening to a true 
sense of the situation. The logic of the living issue of 
the age is: Shall the masses live in precarious anxiety 
about their material support, and millions even suffer 
for the actual necessities of life in the midst of the 
earth’s abundant yield ?” 

“The system of ethics that will most satisfactorily 
solve this problem, will be the rule of government in 
the near future, for our people are stirred to a degree 


193 


A Strange Voyage, 

on these subjects never before known in the history of 
our planet ; a reform tidal wave is carrying them for- 
ward with resistless power/’ 

“I am pleased to learn of it.” Consulting his watch, 
he said : “It is near noon, let us return to the hotel for 
dinner.” 

Edith met us on the balcony ; I noticed a sad ex- 
pression, that sorely perplexed me, though she greeted 
me as affectionately as usual. I did not have an oppor- 
tunity to learn the cause of it, for we were both drawn 
into conversation with others until after dinner. 

At two o’clock, quite a number of the company 
took motors for a ride and visit of inspection to the 
head central business bureaus. We were invited to ac- 
company them and did ; Edith introduced me to a bright 
young lady who had accompanied the delegation from 
Mars ; she was a contributor with pen and pencil to an 
illustrated literary magazine on her planet, and was an 
indefatigable worker, for her pencil seemed to be in 
almost continuous requisition, producing fun and scath- 
ing satire. 

She graciously permitted me to examine her 
sketches ; one of them taken just before her departure 
from Mars, was very amusing; it was called “the 
parade of the gobblers,” and represented a full-fledged 
procession of turkeys in line of march. The officers 
were distinguishable by their glittering regalia and 
important carriage ; each successive grade of rank was 
indicated by an increased size in the plume of the 


194 


A Strange Voyage, 

wearer’s hat, gorgeousness of trappings, spread of 
plumage, and excess of pride, that seemed to say in 
unmistakable language, a little more gobbler; still 
more gobbler ; most important gobbler of all. 

She said : “This is intended for the children’s de- 
partment of the paper.” 

“I think it will be equally instructive to a vast mul- 
ttitude of our elders, for they are slow to set aside the 
delusions of their early mistraining, and all through 
life, strut about in the glory of self-assured importance. 
Even in our amusements we are at times vivid illustra- 
tions of silly egotism and selfishness.” 

“So it occurred to me whilst viewing a procession, 
a few days before I left our planet to come here ; the 
morbid desire of some of the participants to attract 
popular attention, made it a fit subject for satire. The 
sketch is not quite finished, I must add a little to the 
length of the chief commander’s plume, for the way he 
strutted up and down the parade ground deserves a 
little extra recognition. 

“Perhaps it is best to make it quite long and depict 
it as being borne by a page, as our ladies used to have 
their trains supported.” 

“Some of our titled and untitled ladies still follow 
that custom on important occasions.” 

“Indeed! How strange that your customs are so 
similar to ours.” 


195 


A Strange Voyage. 

She was an indefatigable questioner, but in return 
gave me a great deal of information about the people 
of Mars. 

She said : “We have abolished a great many things 
recently, among them, armies and navies, and the pom- 
pously inclined are forced to content themselves with 
the glitter of civic parades. We hope in the next few 
years to wean them from such silly vanities.’’ 

Mischievously looking at me, she said: “As we 
progress, it is desirable to have our male friends keep 
pace with us.” 

“Have your women the same privileges as the men?” 

“Yes ; we were graciously granted the ballot twenty- 
five years ago. What is the educational standing of 
your women as compared with the men?” 

“During the past fifteen years they have excelled 
the other sex in every competitive examination.” 

“To what do you attribute it?” 

“Our learned physicians say it is due to the stricter 
moral training of the girls than the boys.” 

“Does it give rise to any jealous feelings among the 
young men ?” 

“No; on the contrary, a marked improvement is 
noticable in their deportment and attainments, as the 
result of emulation.” 

“Though we discountenance selfish competition in 
all our dealings with each other, still we encourage the 
competition that tends to make us excel in a spiritual 
and intellectual sense.” 


196 


A Stra7tge Voyage. 

“I am glad you made the distinction so clear, for 
one of the greatest arguments used against the co-oper- 
ative system on our planet, is that the abolition of the 
competitive system w’ould tend in time to destroy all 
incentive to excel. 

“It is assuredly a mistaken one. Noble aspirations 
increase in direct ratio to the decrease of selfish desires.’’ 

We drew up in front of the departments we were to 
examine, and my bright companion was taken under 
the escort of a young member of the staff; Edith joined 
me, and remarked: “It is past the business hours so 
we will be able to follow our investigations without dis- 
turbing any one.” 

I inquired the distinction in authority between the 
presiding officers of the central assembly we had visited 
and the head officials of these departments. 

She replied: “The general assembly frames our 
laws in the impartial interest of our entire planet, and 
is strictly legislative and judicial in its functions. The 
executive heads of departments are strictly the orderly 
administrators of production and distribution, and all 
the other uses of our planet. 

“The first is for the adoption of all that is deemed 
conducive to our happiness. The second is the instru- 
ment for its practical application. Tersely expressed 
one is the function of thought and the other of action. 
All engaged in the department offices here are chosen 
by competitive examination in the sections they repre- 
sent. None are dependent upon executive favor for 


A Strange Voyage, 


197 


their appointment. Proficiency in the work ensures a 
continuousness in the position during the life service of 
the individual, which continues to the end of the fifty- 
second year.* 

“The soul-degrading money and property tempta- 
tions being removed, none have a desire to pose ungrace- 
fully in positions that nature never intended them to oc- 
cupy. This is the source of true order in government.’’ 

“You adopt means to ends well. I have not seen 
any signs of crime, nor any jails, etc., which are so 
numerous on our earth.” 

“We have no criminals ; vice has gradually disap- 
peared, until it is but a dim recollection, associated 
with the unjust governments of past ages.” 

“What would you do if crime should make its 
appearance again.?” 

“The instant we should perceive a vicious tendency 
we would bring to bear upon the individual a compas- 
sionate will power, an irresistable force when influenced 
by the love of good, and the subject is invariably lifted 
to a higher plane without being conscious of the efforts 
made in his behalf.” 

“We are turning our attention to the treatment of 
diseases by similar methods, it is styled hypnotism, 
properly it is a scientific application of mesmerism, 
which has been known and blunderingly practiced for 
some time. I presume you are not troubled with 
scandal-mongers .?” 


* Industrial Ethics, 1874. 


198 


A Strange Voyage. 

“No, fortunately we have no such vicious social 
disturbers. Have you ? ’ ' 

“Yes, in every grade of society we have a class of 
mind who labor under the impression that they must 
give more attention to the private affairs of others than 
to their own. Their vicious persecution makes it 
almost impossible for wrong-doers to reform.'* 

“The function of secretiveness has a legitimate use. 
Properly exercised it is a check on the tendency to 
magnify and make public the faults of others, not to 
condone wrong doing, but to shield the fallen from 
malicious or thoughtless scandal, which tends to sink 
them still lower and lower in the depths of degrada- 
tion. The managers who invited us here have arrived ; 
Mr. Directwell, the chief executive, is approaching; 
allow me to introduce you to him." 

He greeted us cordially, and consulting his watch 
said, pleasantly: “It is a question whether you or I 
owe an apology. You for coming sooner than expected, 
and I for not being here ahead of time to receive you." 

Edith replied: “Your courteous assistants were 
here and gave us a very cordial reception, and have 
assisted us in making a good use of our time." 

Mr. Directwell entered at once into an explanation 
of the management of the entire planet’s business, 
speaking as follows: “Having abolished all national 
lines, we are not hampered with costly armies, navies, 
revenue service, custom houses, ambassadors, ministers 


199 


A Strange Voyage, 

plenipotentiary consulates, etc., thus you perceive a 
simplification of government is the result, and we are 
the better enabled to confine our energies to methods 
that are the most conducive to the mutual good of all 
the people of our planet. 

“To still further simplify our administration of uses, 
all affairs that can be properly managed by the sections, 
districts and sub-districts are left entirely under their 
local supervision, conforming, of course, to the general 
code of planetary laws ; for instance, they develop 
and conduct their local uses, and manage the distribu- 
tion of their productions for their own needs in each 
locality where it is produced, but the surplus is under 
the management of the sub-districts, districts and sec- 
tions. With the latter only, this central department 
has direct productive and distributive relations. The 
sections with their respective districts ; the districts 
with sub-districts. Thus while freed from the burden 
of district and sub-district management, yet by and 
through the section bureau departments we are 
intimately united in interests. 

“Our planet is managed as easily as a well ordered 
family, and I assure you it is much easier than having 
dealings with nations puffed up with false conceptions 
of patriotism and jealous of each others advancement. 
But to the subject proper. The main function of 
central government is to ensure an orderly supply of 
labor to production and an equitable distribution of it 
to all ; this we easily accomplish. 


200 


A Strange Voyage, 

“Please examine this book, it is the day’s transac- 
tions with one of the hundred sections into which our 
planet is divided.” 

The first item that claimed my attention was a 
report that the section had dispatched its quota of 
employes to work on the improvements which had been 
requested by the lady member of the central assembly, 
for the section which she represented, and which had 
been voted affirmatively by that body, whilst I was 
present, a few days before. It was a remarkable evidence 
of the dispatch that is possible in furthering measures 
for our good when freed from partisan or other corrupt 
influences. 

Mr. Directwell continued : “You will perceive the 
necessity of a central legislative assembly and central 
business executive department by this, for the project 
requires a concentration of skill and labor to a part of 
the planet, which could not be obtained there, and 
necessarily must come from all other parts. 

“The discussion and adoption of the measure by 
the central assembly relieved this department of all 
doubts and responsibilities about it, leaving us entirely 
free to promptly direct the carrying out of the 
work to completion, by furnishing every necessary 
facility for same.” 

Several other reports were examined with equal 
interest and satisfaction ; then we were led to another 
department under the same general management. It 
was the head bureau of statistics, containing accurate 


201 


A Strange Voyage, 

accounts of all the productive and surplus resources of 
each section. The records were marvels of simplicity 
and accurate method. Each page was divided under 
three headings : 


Amount Produced N umber of Consumers and 
. , „ Amount Consumed 

in each Section. in each Section. 


SurMus Products for 
Distribution to 
other Sections. 


The director remarked: “We know our entire 
resources and needs, and orderly regulate them without 
the least clashing of interests.” 

“We have no equitable government of production 
and distribution, and unfair apportionment is the result. 
Seemingly we have taxed our ingenuity to the utmost 
to prevent each other from enjoying the bounty of 
nature. Gorgeous palaces and immense wealth for a 
few, squalid tenements and pinching want for the many. 
Moral chaos prevailing on every hand. Even pre- 
tended schools of philosophy argue with selfish stoicism 
that the lines of social demarkation, regulated by 
wealth, in nearly every instance are the result of fixed 
laws of evolution, and one noted organization directly 
affirms that the poor and unfortunate are undergoing 
punishments for the misdeeds of previous re-incarna- 
tions. 

“It is an incontrovertable fact that the most selfish 
and despicable traits of character tend to the accumula- 
tion of large fortunes and their attendant luxury and 
social recognition, while the exercise of all the virtues 


202 


A Strange Voyage, 

inevitably tend to the reverse, thus conclusively 
disproving their Pharisaical philosophy. To hold to 
such a theory in the face of the living evidences to the 
contrary is to argue that the law of moral progress 
is a delusion, and that, the management of pretended 
controlling deities is the acme of silly blundering. 

“How ridiculous the administration of the gods, 
that showers the goods of this life in excessful quanti- 
ties into the laps of tyrants and conscienceless profli- 
gates, while millions of worthy beings are forced into 
a condition of overburdened care and want for their 
daily keep. The most heinous crimes that have been 
perpetrated against organized society, have always 
found subtle arguments in their defence.*’ 

“You picture a deplorable code of ethics, as existing 
on your planet, but it is not the least surprising, for 
under the competitive system none other need be 
expected.” 

Taking another book from the case and opening it 
before us, he continued: “Here is a census of a sec- 
tion’s population by districts, giving a complete record 
of the sexes and ages.” Pointing to the bookcase: 
“There are one hundred in all, each one representing a 
district. You perceive that this record is a compilation 
of the one hundred sub-districts of District No. 5.” 
Turning over the pages: “Here is tabulated the 
number of persons, between the ages of eighteen and 
fifty-two, engaged in the various uses; also all under 
eighteen years and over fifty-two years. They are kept 


203 


A Strange Voyage, 

so accurately by the section, district and sub-district 
bureaus, that these head departments can be furnished 
with any desired information within an hour, even from 
the most remote portion of the planet. 

“We know the amount produced in each section, 
and the needs of each as well, and we distribute the 
products of each equitably to all. Our whole economic 
system has been reduced to so simple and effective a 
method, that even children of tender age fully under- 
stand it. As there is always a large surplus, even with 
a few hours labor per day we have no difficulty in 
providing for the amplest desires of all. None can 
possibly have any cause to envy others in the least. 

“Every important use on our planet has a head de- 
partment bureau here, and all are directly under the 
management of this, the head executive department; 
thus all interests are fully cared for. The presiding 
officers of the grand central assembly, a male and 
female, are the heads of our entire planetary govern- 
ment. How is it on your planet.?” 

“The chief magistrates of the many nations are 
styled emporers, empresses, kings, queens and pres- 
idents. Some of them have almost absolute power over 
their subjects, others less, and many are merely figure 
heads for constitutional governments. A few of them, 
especially in the republics, have a pernicious power of 
appointing the officials of government departments, 
hence constant scheming, corruption and change is the 
result of partisan favoritism. The appointees as a rule 


204 


A Strange Voyage. 

are not chosen with regard to their fitness for the posi- 
tions they are to fill/’ 

“I presume you have many aspirants for public 
office, as the income is assured for at least a year or 
more ahead.” 

“It is a literal scramble, and the tenacity with which 
they cling to it is certainly not an evidence of antago- 
nism to the paternal features of governmental patri- 
mony.” 

“Adaptability in choice of officers and efficient gov- 
ernment is impossible under such a loose system of 
order. Let me liken our form of government to a v/ell 
balanced wheel, this, the central department, the hub, 
each section a spoke, securely mortised to one common 
centre and radiating outwards to the fellows, which 
may be compared to districts and their sub-districts 
embracing the entire surface of the planet, all held to- 
gether in firmest unity by the tire, so typical of universal 
dependence. 

“An injury to one part of the wheel effects the 
efficiency of the whole structure ; all its parts must be 
maintained in equally good condition or it is thrown 
out of balance, to jar and grate on its axle, and soon 
become disintegrated and worthlessly wrecked. Come 
let us partake of a lunch prepared for us.” 

He led the way and we were ushered into a magnifi- 
cent dining hall. As soon as we crossed the threshold, 
delightful vocal and instrumental strains welled as 
with heavenly vibrations, yet neither singers nor players 


205 


A Strange Voyage. 

were in sight. The menu was elaborate and delicious, 
: but the feast of sweet melodies was most soul gratifying 
I indeed. I no longer wondered how this advanced peo- 

I ple disposed of their abundant leisure, for surprises like 
this had been sprung upon us on many occasions before, 
j As we arose from the table the hidden performers 

I filed into the hall from the several screened alcoves in 
which they had been stationed. Introductions followed, 
^ and for an hour or two pleasant converse was inter- 
^ spersed with delightful vocal and instrumental selec- 
f. tions. We bid the courteous director and the intelligent 
f company good-bye. 

^ As we passed out of the magnificent building, a 
I number of young ladies and gentlemen greeted us ; the 
i young ladies fastened a tasteful buttonier on the lapel 
f of each male visitor’s coat, and the young men pre- 
S sented each lady with a bouquet, set in an elegant 
i holder, which as well as the buttonier holders contained 
I a small reservoir of liquid sufficient to sustain the fresh- 
ji; ness of the flowers for hours. 

Motors were awaiting us. Edith said: “We are 
< to pay a flying visit to the sewer pipe foundries.” 
i Away we speed over the smooth kept roads until 
f the manufacturing district was reached. Our motors 
I: stopped in front of an extensive one-story building ; a 
I committee was in waiting, and we were escorted inside 
i the factory. It being after working hours, we had to 
depend upon the committee for all information. The 
1 sewer pipes were in the rough, in sizes ranging from 


206 


A Strange Voyage. 

six inches to twelve feet in diameter, strewn about the 
ground floor just as they had been turned out of the 
moulds in the forenoon. There was nothing of unusual 
interest about the foundry other than its massiveness, 
thoroughness of equipments knd the immense size of 
some of the sewer pipes ; but we had been brought 
there for a useful purpose, and we did not wait long 
until it was revealed. 

We passed from the foundry into the finishing shop 
and saw the pipes on immense lathes in various stages 
of progress ; from there we entered the plating depart- 
ment; imagine our surprise to see the inside of the 
pipes coated with a bright shining metal looking like 
gold. The committeeman who was directing our move- 
ments said: “The sewer pipes, vault receptacles and 
slop bowls are all heavily coated on their insides with 
gold, for sanitary reasons, as it is the most non-corrod- 
ing natural metal known.” 

I replied: “On our planet, that would be deemed 
an unpardonable waste and pei*version of its metallic 
value.” 

“We have attained great success in the manufacture 
of non-corroding alloys, and I have no doubt could 
easily substitute some of them for the gold used in 
lining our sewer pipes ; but there was a grand purpose 
other than its non-corroding features which first caused 
it to be used for pipe lining. It had been a source of 
selfish hording and strife, producing great injustice and 
crime, making its abolition as a representative of values 


207 


A Strange Voyage, 

absolutely necessary for our progress, and it was gathered 
in by public enactments, and deemed to be of greater 
service to humanity as a lining for sewer pipe, etc., 
than put to other purposes. It was particularly neces- 
sary to put it to uses where it could not be hoarded, to 
again corrupt and retard our developement.” 

Verily! The purpose of our visit was fully ex- 
plained. We thanked our entertainers, bid them good 
bye and rode down to the harbor. 

A magnificent floating palace was awaiting our 
coming; as soon as we were all on board the moor- 
ings were cast loose, and we speedily moved outward 
to the open sea. Our destination was the central ob- 
servatory, located on an island fifty miles from the main 
land. In half an hour we arrived there, were court- 
eously received, and at once conducted to aerial motors, 
in which we were taken to the observatory located ten 
thousand feet above the level of the sea. 

Our ascent was so easy and rapid that we scarcely 
had time to realize its novelty before we landed on a 
spacious platform hewn from the solid rock of the 
mountain ; it was at least half a mile square, and the 
buildings occupied one-fourth of it ; they far exceeded 
any of our finest observatories, in massiveness and 
architectural beauty. 

The faculty in charge, composed of an equal num- 
ber of ladies and gentlemen, met and welcomed us as 
soon as we alighted and led us into the reception-room. 
After a few minutes pleasant conversation we were 


208 A Strange Voyage, 

conducted to the observatory, ascending in a commo- 
dious elevator. 

To get an adequate idea of the magnitude and ap- 
pointments of the place, imagine twenty observatories 
the size of the “Lick” observatory in California, turned 
into one, with instruments proportionate in size, and 
supplied with powerful combined microscopic lenses, 
making ordinary objects on some of the planets easily 
discernable. I was fortunate to catch a good view of 
our planet, and most remarkable, my scope of vision 
rested on the District of Columbia ; the outlines of the 
capitol buildings were perfectly clear. After we had 
taken a peep through all the instruments and their me- 
chanical features and scientific uses briefly explained to 
us, we were invited to see the progress they had made 
in signal communications with other planets. 

A few attempts had been made before, but with 
sufficient results to prove the practicability of the plan 
after the completion of a few details. They were about 
to communicate with planet Saturn. The large sym- 
bols were arranged on the spacious white plateau, and 
soon afterwards the chief astronomer who had been 
eagerly scanning that planet through one of the im- 
mense telescopes, sent a messenger to us stating that he 
had received assurance of its being deciphered by the 
astronomers of Saturn, and also had received a reply 
thereto. 

We were again invited into the observ^atory and 
were granted the pleasure of reading the signal replies 


209 


A Strange Voyage. 

on the plateau of Saturn. All were highly gratified 
at the successful results and the joyous news was tele- 
graphed over the entire planet. 

We entered the dining hall, partook of an appetizing 
eolation, then bid them farewell and departed. Our 
visit was highly instructive. A few minutes ride in the 
air ship, took us to our fine vessel, and we cast loose 
for home, reaching the hotel in just half an hour. 

The day’s sight seeing made a quiet evening quite 
desirable, and I was pleased when Edith invited me to 
sit with her on the veranda, for above all others her 
company was the most desirable. How much better it 
would be for human progress, if our women were per- 
fectly free in their choice of soul-mates, instead of being 
chained by unscientific customs to ill-consorts, who, 
like the proverbial mill stone, drag them down, down 
the unfathomable depths of discontent and wreck. 
“ Voluntus non fotest cogi.^* Mating is the inevitable 
law of life, and the most intelligent precautions should 
be exercised in the marital compact. Unfortunately it 
is subjected more to the caprice of maudling fancy and 
selfish environments than to a clear conception of the 
physiological and moral laws that are inevitable. 

We need scientific schools on this subject, with the 
highest order of men and women teachers. The more 
liberal education of women is destined in the very near 
future to raise them to a more exalted plane than to 
be, as generally is the case at present, the petted toys of 
their masculine admirers. 


210 


A Strange Voyage, 

The wife of the future must be an equal and com- 
panion of man in its fullest sense, for true civilization 
is not attainable until this unprincipled bartering in the 
souls and bodies of our daughters for lucre and social 
position ceases. It is not a pleasant task to be forced 
by a strict sense of duty to speak truthfully and forcibly 
on this subject. The necessities of the case must be 
my apology. Excuse my digression once more. 

Seated together, in sweet content, the happy hours 
passed by until eleven o’clock admonished us that it was 
time to retire ; I led Edith to the door of her apart- 
ments, bid her good-night, sought mine and blessed sleep 
the balm of all our cares soon encompassed me in its 
fathomless depths of mystery. 

I arose an hour after sunrise next morning, and 
accompanied a party of gentlemen to the swimming- 
baths, situated inside and near the entrance of the 
harbor. We rode there in motors. The bathing place 
covered several thousand feet and contained two 
immense swimming basins, beside a large number of 
smaller ones. All were built of white polished marble 
and were superbly decorated. Ample heating appa- 
ratus assured any desired temperature of the water. 
The dressing and toilet rooms were fitted with the most 
convenient appliances, and courteous attendants were in 
waiting to assist the visitors. A fine band discoursed 
some excellent music, adding a very pleasant feature 
to the scene. 


A Strange Voyage. 


211 


As soon as we emerged from the water we were 
served with a refreshing warm drink. Entering our 
dressing room we were assisted to dispose of our bathing 
suits and w^ere led to ingeniously constructed massage 
machines.* With this use we could a^^ply the 
brushes or pads to any part of the body as easily as the 
dentists use their flexible drills. They produced a very 
exhilarating effect. Our lady friends had also been 
enjoying the healthful pleasures of the bath, and 
returned about the same time we did. 

Breakfast over, it was resolved to occupy the fore- 
noon in visiting the extensive vineyards, which were 
several miles distant from, the city, on a range of hills 
extending back from the sea-shore. 

The carriages we made the trip in were propelled 
by a power generated on the vehicle, hence there 
were no wires over head, or rail tracks beneath. Each 
one carried two people and a motoneer. The roads 
were perfectly smooth and exceptionally clean, as there 
w^ere no animals in use or running at large upon them. 

It was a delightful day, the summer and autumn 
had but recently been wed, and were blending in the 
sv/eet effusion of connubial affinity. The bright shades 
of green and brownish red, tipped here and there with 
golden yellow ; the summer’s heated passion tempered 
to an even glow ; a sense of perfected work and rest 
from ardous toil ; a blessed calm of peace and content- 

* Suggested by the author in 1863, and probably the dentists’ flexible 
drill and the modern massage machine were the outcome of the same idea. 


212 


A Stra7tge Voyage. 

ment pervading all nature ; truly this is the season of 
gratitude and idealism, the poetry of the year. 

As if by mutual consent our motors moved with 
slackened pace as we feasted on the beautiful scenery 
by the way. My heart was full of gladness at the 
thought that such enjoyment was attainable by all on 
the planet ; no selfish usurpation or misconception of 
right could obstruct the progress and enjoyment of even 
those at the footstool of the social pyramid. My mind 
glimpsed back to earth again and the shadows gathered 
fast about my mental horoscope. 

Edith noticed the change in me and said: “I know 
your thoughts, yet I would like for you to give vent to 
the burden of your soul in speech.” 

“Yes I feel that is best for me to do so ; it may 
still the storm that has so suddenly disturbed the blessed 
calm that encompassed me. I was contrasting the 
conditions on our planet with conditions here and the 
picture appalled me. The privileges your people 
enjoy unstintedly are possible only to a few with us. 
The sense of appreciation and gratification of the higher 
enjoyments on our planet are not controlled by progres- 
sive degrees of evolution, unrestricted by arbitrary 
interference as on yours, but instead are everywhere 
interfered with and fettered by the tyranny of money 
and caste pretension. 

“The majority of our vast population are looked 
upon by the usurping minority as being but slightly 


213 


A Strange Voyage. 

removed from animals of even lowest types. And 
while pretending to be the rulers of the majority by 
virtue of their superior attainments and spiritual 
advancement, the self-constituted superior class mani- 
fest a striking, selfish, neiwous anxiety when the lowly 
aspire to higher levels of development, seemingly 
ignoring the possibility that fineness of soul can be 
found beneath the coarsest appearing covering. 

“Years ago when suffering from a prolonged attack 
of rheumatism, and almost helpless in body, with the 
exception of being able to use my hands for a few 
minutes at a time ; every outlook drear and hopeless ; 
professed friends, for whom I had unstintingly done 
favors, turned their backs upon my humble abode, for 
the furniture, bric-a-brac and books, the treasured store 
of years, had gradually been parted with, and a single 
room near the roof of a tenement, with bare floor and 
scant furniture, had become the only available dwelling 
place of my wife, child and myself. I was too crippled 
to go out in search of work, and the wife, taking the 
child with her for company, endeavored to secure a few 
small orders every day for show cards and small signs, 
which with great effort and pain I could do when sitting 
propped up with pillows in a chair. They were met 
with a sneer and cold contempt in nearly every store 
where they applied for orders. All seemed black, and 
but for those depending upon me for support, and for 
whom I hoped to recover my health in the future, I 
would have welcomed death as a blessed relief. 


214 -^4 Strange Voyage. 

“The last nickel had been parted with for bread, 
the child was hungry and asking for something to eat ; 
the patient uncomplaining mother with head averted, 
was trying to suppress and hide the tears that welled 
from her burdened soul ; the wind howled and pierc- 
ingly whistled about the windows, and lowered the 
temperature of the imperfectly warmed room ; the fall 
of hurrying feet sounded less and less upon the busy 
thoroughfare, for the fast falling snow was spreading a 
soft yeilding carpet for the steps of the joyous ones who 
were going to and from the holiday attired stores, 
bent upon gladdening others’ hearts. It was near Christ- 
mas, A gentle tap on the door ; it was opened by my 
wife, and an acquaintance of hers, upon whom she had 
no claims, entered, and with a kind, sweet expression, 
kissed her, saying: ‘I need a little assistance in re- 
pairing my wardrobe, as you know I fill a position that 
takes up most of my time.’ She unrolled a small 
parcel which contained but a trifle of work, kissed my 
child and wife again, wished me better health, took my 
wife’s hand and led her to the door as she departed, 
with a kind good-bye. My wife stood for a few min- 
utes dazed, her pent up feelings giving way in a flood 
of sobs and tears, of mingling gratitude and hope, for 
her visitor had slipped a piece of paper in her hand as 
she departed ; it was a five dollar bill. Are there other 
than human eyes watching o’er us.^ 

“Before the five dollars were all expended, a rough, 
profane acquaintance, for whom I had at one time 


A Strange Voyage. 


215 


painted signs, made his way to my room with some 
small Japanned tin signs which he wished me to letter 
in gold ; he had come nearly three miles and could 
have had them done in several places in his neighbor- 
hood. He had heard of my helplessness and had made 
haste to see me. Rough as this uncut diamond of Erin 
appeared, I knew well beneath his rough coating there 
beat a heart as fine and gentle as a woman’s. He paid 
in advance, placed his large hand upon my shoulder, 
and it seemed I could feel a thrilling glow from his 
touch. I was about to express my thanks for his kind- 
ness, when he turned from me with a smile and a 
careless oath, taking my little daughter by the hand 
saying, ‘Let her go with me to the store and get some 
candy. I’ll bring her back safe to the foot of the stairs.* 

“She went with him, and returned in a few minutes 
with a large paper bag full of choice grapes and 
oranges, and a smaller one full of candy, and in her 
hand a two dollar bill, which she gave to her mother, 
saying, ‘He told me this was to buy me a dress.’ 

“Here were two striking instances of the good that 
there is in human nature. The lady was a professed 
Christian, the daughter of a minister; the man was a 
catholic, perhaps even careless of observing the 
religious obligations of his faith ; but who shall say to 
the contrary, that the Christ spirit is equally as large in 
one as the other ; or that the soul vibrations eminating 
from the one prone to profanity of speech might be 
shorn of all crude sharp angles, by angelic forces, and 


216 


A Strange Voyage. 

blended in sweetest accord with the gentle beautiful 
waves of harmony, that like incense, from the quiet 
unassuming woman of mercy ascends to the great 
source of all our being? 

“The Spirit of the Divine life is in all, though more 
active in some than others. Experience in life has 
taught me that fineness of thought and tenderness of 
feeling is not confined to a class, nor can individuals 
always be justly judged by their external appearances 
or surroundings. Reach down into the hearts of even 
the seemingly debased with an earnest desire to better 
them, and you can fan into brightest glow the latent 
powers so long covered and hid from sight.’* 

“That is the essence of moral ethics and should be 
the prevailing spirit in dealing with all phases of mental 
diseases, which you informed me were called crimes 
upon your planet, and dealt with in a spirit of retalia- 
tory vengeance, called justice.* The more highly 
developed and fortunate should consider themselves the 
husbandmen of nature’s great bounty, and use their 
superior intelligence to direct others less favored, not 
to tyrannize over them and rob them.” 

We made several stops by the way, alighting and 
clambering the hill-side in search of, to us, novel plants 
and flowers and beautiful specimens of minerals. 

The trees were alive with beautifully plumed birds 
and sweet songsters, they were very tame, some 


* From the author’s “Need of Reform,” published in 1872. 


217 


A Strange Voyage. 

of them alighted upon our motors and even allowed us 
to handle them without being afraid in the least, 
Man’s kingdom over animals and birds increases in 
direct ratio wdth his government of self. 

As Edith and I talked and rode so lovingly 
together, I resolved to remain upon her planet and wed 
her if I could. No more of our planet for me, with its 
cruel contrasting lines, its bitter strifes, its avarice and 
poverty. 

The ignusfatuus chase for wealth and all vain 
glorious ambitions had lost their fascinations for me. I 
was content with a civilization that secured me ample 
for all my needs in return for my reasonable service to 
society. No need or temptation to hoard or covet 
there. Whilst thus musing we arrived at the vineyards, 
which covered thousands of acres, extending for miles 
along the hill-sides. 

We were pleasantly welcomed and presented with 
delicious unfermented juice drinks, and then shown 
about the place. 

It was the vintage season and we witnessed the 
gathering and pressing of the grapes of the extensive 
place. The vaults were built in excavations made in 
the hill-sides, and were vast in extent and perfect in all 
their appointments. 

The vintage and storage of the various brands were 
quite interesting, as they differed materially from our 
system. There was not a vat, tierce or barrel of wood 
in use, even the presses were lined with tasteless 


118 


A Strange Voyage. 

metal. The vessels were in the form of immense jars, 
all furnished with convenient appliances for draining 
and settling, and so ingeniously set in adjustable frame- 
work that a child could easily handle them. The most 
curious feature was that none of the liquid ever under- 
went the process of fermentation, hence were non-intox- 
icant and also retained their delicious flavors unim- 
paired ; this was effected by the use of chemicals which 
did not impart the least injurious qualities to the juices, 
yet practically made them indestructable. 

Millions of bottles of bright colored glass, and of 
unique and artistic forms were arranged on shelves and 
racks in the vaults, and the store-houses contained 
hampers ready packed for shipment per orders from 
headquarters. 

The superintendent led us into a separate vault in 
which was stored a great variety of juices from tropical 
and other latitudes, remarking as we entered: “You 
perceive we are not neglected by our brethren abroad 
who are equally as regardful of our welfare as we 
are of theirs. Would you like to try a little of the orange 
bloom 

“Yes, if you please, it is a favorite fruit of mine.*^ 

The attendants handed each of us a glass ; it was 
delicious ; the bottles were amber in color and decorated 
with gold ; in fact they were beautiful decanters, fit to 
adorn the tables of the most aesthetic. Before we re- 
tired from there several other luscious fruit juices were 
tasted. 


219 


A Strange Voyage, 

The superintendent said; “This morning we re- 
ceived an order to forward 500,000 cases of wine of 
mixed brands to a remote part of the planet. The order 
stated by which route it was to be sent. Within two 
hours we had delivered it at the nearest depot on the 
line leading to its destination.” 

“Wonderful dispatch, indeed! ” 

“We require an additional number of vessels and 
bottles this year, as we have increased the area of culti- 
vation ; our order was sent to our sub-district four days 
ago ; we have just received word that they have arrived 
at the depot and will be delivered to us in the morning. 
The order went from the sub-district to the district 
office, from there to the section office, and lastly to the 
central distributive executive at the capitol, as they are 
manufactured in another section of our planet. 

“ If they were made in our section it would have 
been necessary only to forward the order as far as our 
section headquarters.” 

I said: “Your methods of exchange without barter 
or money is all that can be desired.” 

He replied : “Money and barter would be the worst 
impediments to orderly distribution that we could con- 
ceive. We have too much regard for the value of time 
for that.” 

“Indeed! Our croakers are always harping about 
what the masses might possibly do with their great 
leisure time when there is a juster apportionment of the 
burden of production, and the pictures of possible vice 


220 


A Strange Voyage, 

which they depict, as would result from such leisure, are 
deplorable to behold.” 

“That is another evidence of the \vant of knowledge 
of soul life, or else a very cunning sophism in the in- 
terest of wrongs that they have a selfish interest in per- 
petuating. 

“Vice is not near as apt to attain when men have 
plenty of leisure, combined with a regular daily use, as 
when the leisure is continuous, as it generally is with 
your wealthy classes. Am I correct in my surmises?” 

“Yes, to a great extent, but all our wealthy people 
are not idlers.” 

“I did not mean it in that sense, merely the general 
rule. The dislike of work and in fact, all vices are the 
outgrowth of injustice and oppression, usually inherited 
or congenital, and to a certain extent beyond the control 
of the individual. 

“Overwork not only creates a dislike for work but 
also a feeling akin to revenge for the injustices imposed, 
then is it any wonder that the children of the down 
trodden are apt to at first abuse the privilege of enlarged 
freedom ? 

“A few generations of the enforcement of equity 
would entirely obliterate the vagrant element, but you 
may rest assured they will remain with you as long as 
some are allowed to unlimitedly trespass upon the rights 
of others. Both classes are equally inimical to human 
progress, and though one class is arrayed with a gor- 
geous tinsel and the other is covered with crudeness and 


221 


A Sti'ange Voyage. 

filth, they are antipodes of evil equally distant from the 
balancing line of equity. 

“The individual not overtasked with tedious hours 
of toil, with free libraries and places of innocent amuse- 
ment and culture open to him, is not as apt to 
cultivate habits of vice of any character, as the weary 
overv/orked toiler, who reaches his home after his 
day’s arduous toil, to find squaler in all its unpleasant 
features. The saloon is generally the only tempting 
place of welcome change open to his stunted senses, 
and the downward march of vice is of little real concern 
to the majority who are desperately engaged in main- 
taining the shams of false civilization.” 

“There is not the least doubt of it.” 

“There should be less harping about mankind’s 
proneness to evil and more energy expended in awak- 
ening the latent good into activity.” 

“You are right, there is too much of the spirit of 
‘Thank God I am not as other men are.’ It is to be 
hoped that we may hear less cant in the near future 
and meet with more truthful workers in the vineyards. 
Perhaps again as of yore, the best of teachers may be 
chosen from the humbler v^^alks of life, and the present 
disposition to stifle the effort of teachers not of the 
favored classes may prove very unsuccessful.” 

A chime of bells announced preparation for dinner. 
We were led to the dressing rooms and arranged our 
toilets and soon entered a fine dining hall. There, as 
everywhere else we had been in the rural districts, the 


222 


A Strange Voyage, 

buildings were on the hotel plan ; everything was on 
a magnificent scale. 

While seated at the table we were treated to a novel 
musical feature ; it was called ‘ The Melodies of 
Freedom.’ The orchestra numbered fifty performers, 
and each one played upon an instrument which imitated 
perfectly the warbling of a feathered songster ; aside 
from the extreme inovation and newness of the per- 
formance, it was a musical triumph and a very rare 
treat. 

Soon after dinner Edith said: “I dislike to take 
you away from company and surroundings which seem 
to delight you so much, but we were invited to join an 
excursion this afternoon to a distant pleasure resort and 
I took the liberty to accept it for you, as you were not 
present at the time. We will have but a few minutes 
to spare to prepare ourselves when we reach the city, 
so if agreeable we will start for the hotel at once.” 

“Any plans you may make in my interest I assure 
you will be most pleasurable to me, though I must 
candidly admit that you have clearly read my thoughts. 
I am intensely interested in this community and the 
delightful scenery about here, and feel some regret at 
parting from them so soon, but I am a willing follower 
wherever you may choose to lead.” 

We bid our friends adieu and departed for the city, 
which we reached in a few minutes, going at the 
marvelous speed of sixty miles an hour. A glass 
screen, V-shaped, had been adjusted on the front of 


223 


A Strange Voyage, 

each motor, so we experienced no inconvenience from 
the wind and atmosphere. 

On arriving at the hotel we at once retired to arrange 
our toilets and soon joined the large company of excur- 
sionists, among them all the representatives of other 
planets. We boarded a regular train and rapidly sped 
away through beautiful country scenery to the park, 
arriving there in half an hour. 

The scene that greeted us surpassed in beauty and 
novelty all the attractive places we had heretofore 
visited on this marvelous progressive planet. The park 
grounds and the numerous lakes contained therein, 
covered an area of ten miles square, and the wonderful 
variety of trees, shrubs and flowers made it a veritable 
paradise of delight to the senses. The many pretty 
islands in the lakes, each one adorned with exquisite 
specimens of architecture, in the form of miniature 
temples, castles, pagodas, arbors and refreshment 
pavilions, conveyed the impression that we had been 
suddenly transported to some higher realm, or were 
roaming in the blissful maze of dreamland. 

We had all assembled near a fine boat pavilion, 
with numerous pretty sail, rowing and motor crafts 
moored to the landing ; courteous attendants advanced 
and politely placed them at our disposal, and as if by 
mutual consent our large party paired off and selected 
boats. 

Edith and I selected a graceful little gig, painted 
white on the outside and pink on the inside with a 


224 


A Strange Voyage. 

tasteful adornment of bright metal ornaments and 
lines. I knew by experience, that our little vessel was 
swift; we soon distanced all others, and were alone. 
After rowing about for half an hour we selected a 
pretty retired nook and landed. 

I had always delighted, even when quite a young 
boy, to seek quiet pastoral scenes and while away the 
hours in reading and thinking whilst surrounded by the 
resplendant glory of nature. Many times in fancy 
treading the flower strewn pathways of an ideal era ; 
many of life’s noblest inspirations stirred me then, and 
joyous hopes filled my soul with gratitude supreme; 
but never before had I an experience so blissful as 
when seated with Edith beside me on that pretty isle ; 
the very atmosphere vibrated with sweetest tenderest 
accord ; the light tinted flowers and leaves with richest 
coloring, and their beautiful shadows sparkled in bright 
prismatic beauty upon the rippling surface of the lake ; 
a paradise of joy and peace supreme, in which no dis- 
cord breathing spirit could find a lodgement. 

Edith aroused me from my reverie with an involun- 
tary gentle pressure of her hand upon my arm. I 
turned towards her; she was unconscious of having 
disturbed the tenor of my thought; her marvelously 
beautiful face wore again that sad dreamy look that 
I had noticed particularly once before. She noticed 
my attention, and looked at me with such a sweet smile 
that all gloomy forebodings were dispelled at once. 


225 


A Strange Voyage, 

I had determined to propose to her on the first suita- 
ble occasion, and though no fairer opportunity could 
seemingly be offered, yet, there seemed to be such an 
exalted spiritual sphere about her that made me 
reverence her as more than mortal. How could I, a 
poor weak mortal raised in an atmosphere of strife and 
struggle for material support, my feet used to thorny 
ways, my heart saddened and made angular with a life- 
time of disappointed hopes, dare to aspire to a life 
companionship with one so infinitely my superior. Again 
the clouds of despondency overshadowed me as with 
hopeless gloom, and my spirit inward groaned. Was 
it compassionate sympathy only that induced her to 
place a tender hand again upon my arm } What fate 
was it that drew us so near together yet held me still in 
expectation and suspense? 

Words were but awkward means, too slow to speak 
the soul’s intensity. My arm encircled her fair form 
and her matchless head found a welcome resting place 
on my shoulder. In sweet content we sat there for 
hours, discussing many phases of the economic ques- 
tion ; and when I recall it, how dear it seems that every 
word of her’s was for a definite purpose — to aid me in 
a remodeling of our earth’s entire economic system. 

The sun dipped beneath the hill tops, gradually 
its orange glow melted into gray and purple, and night 
shadows stealthily came where naught but brightness 
had been. 


226 


A Strange Voyage, 

It was time to depart ; we arose from our seat and 
with arms entwined, wended our way towards the 
boat. Suddenly she paused, as the last gray streak of 
twilight disappeared, and looking into my face with 
that same deep sadness, said; 

“Now we must part, the Gods so will; 

Good-bye, your chosen mission fill.” 

Oh ! What a crushing ending to all my cherished 
hopes. Trembling with agitation I clasped her to my 
breast in a fervent embrace ; I would have held her for 
all eternity. 

But other will than mine to move 
My life line in a fitting groove. 

My lips thrill with a loving kiss, 

And instantly my guide 1 miss. 

I had been dreaming the summer night through 
beneath the locust’s spreading branches, and awoke 

To find myself reclining *pon the earth, 

The purple sky just changing into gray, 

My soul grew sad at thought of strife and dearth 
I knew so thickly strewn all o’er life’s way. 

Back rolls the curtain canopy of night. 

The golden sunlight, streaming through the gfray, 

Spreads wide again the beams of glorious light, 

And nature wakes and smiles in joyous day. 

Oh! glad’ning emblem of the better day, 

So near approaching for the human race ; 

Truth’s torch sheds brightest light all o’er the way. 

The paths to “Golden Age” we clearly trace. 

Then minds of men, with social truths imbued. 

For good of all will work, not selfish strife; 

That nature’s blessings may be wisely used, 

And mankind truly live the better life. 


Note. — The above concluding verses were written by the author and 
published in a Boston newspaper in the spring of 1874, in a poem, entitled 
“ My Vision,” a typical forecast of the Equitable Industrial Era, as actually 
seen in a dream. 



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